Pesto is one of those special gifts from the food gods: it’s versatile, packed with flavor, doesn’t require any cooking and freezes well. In addition, although simple, pesto’s ingredients pack a serious punch when it comes to nutrition (healthy oils, garlic, fresh herbs, raw nuts).

ESSENTIAL OMEGAS ARE IMPORTANT FOR HEALTH

We love extra virgin olive oil as much as the next person but it’s a poor source of omega-3 and omega-6, the two essential omegas that are required for health. Our bodies can synthesize all the fats they need from carbohydrates and proteins, except for omega-3 and omega-6. Because of this, we must get both of these essential fatty acids (or EFAs) directly from our foods.

To address olive oil’s poor essential fat content (it's mostly non-essential omega-9 monounsaturated fat), we use equal parts olive oil and Udo’s Oil omegas in this recipe.

Want to learn more about the important roles these two essential omegas play in health and why we created our 100% plant-based, certified organic Udo’s Oil? We put together some helpful information for you here.  

THE MANY USES OF PESTO

It’s always nice to have a little fresh pesto on hand because it goes with just about everything. For example, it pairs very well with:

• soups
• salad dressings
• steamed and roasted vegetables
• all kinds of grains
• pasta
• bread or sandwiches
• a crudité platter (as a dipping sauce)
• crackers and cheese
• poultry
• seafood
• meats

In other words, you can’t have too much pesto in your life! What more can we say? Udo’s Oil pesto is just the best-o!

UDO’S OIL PARSLEY WALNUT PESTO

Makes about 1 cup 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup walnuts
• ¼ cup Udo’s Oil 3·6·9 Blend
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup grated parmesan
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. By hand (the traditional Italian way): finely chop walnuts and then parsley. Place all ingredients in a small-to-medium bowl and mix well. If you don't want to do it by hand, you can place all ingredients into a blender or processor and pulse, making sure not to over-blend (or puree) the ingredients. You definitely want some texture;
2. Add or mix into food as desired and refrigerate or freeze remaining pesto in a well-sealed glass container.