This post is all about how to make a Dairy Free Pesto, perfect for sandwiches or pasta.

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Published December 1, 2023
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Pesto History

Pesto alla Genovese, Genoese Pesto, or Pesto, is a traditional Italian dish referring to anything that has been “crushed”, “pounded” or “ground” using a marble mortal with circular motions with a pestle. This is where Pesto gets its name from any sauce using a pestle. (2)

There are many varieties of Pesto stemming from Italy.

During Roman times, there are references to moretum, a dish that has garlic, salt, cheese, herbs, olive oil, and vinegar, and sometimes pine nuts, ground together using a mortar and pestle.

During the Middle Ages, there was a dish called agliata, which was a dish of mashed garlic and walnuts.

Pesto recipes began their circulation in newspapers in America in the 1920’s, and prior to that the first known reference was from Giovanni Battista Ratto who published his book La Cuciniera Genovese in 1863 (1).

His first recipe listed basil as the main ingredient, however, he did list two other ingredients that could be substituted. France, during this period, was cultivating basil but only during the growing season. The two ingredients that were good replacements for basil were marjoram and parsley.

With modern conveniences come modern appliances that can make this process incredibly quick. Using a mortar and pestle is the way this recipe was originally intended, however, using a Food Processor provides an efficiency and ease for this recipe.

Dairy Free Pesto Recipe

Ingredients for Dairy Free Pesto

2 cups Fresh Basil
3/4 cup Non-Dairy/Vegan Mozzarella Shreds
1/2 cup Oil
2-4 Garlic Cloves
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
3/4 cup Pine Nuts

Dairy Free Pesto Directions

1. In a sink colander, wash the 2 cups fresh Basil, then transfer the Basil to a towel and gently pat it dry. You can also use paper towels to dry the washed basil prior to processing it.

2. Insert the chopping blade to the Food Processor.

3. When the Basil is dry, transfer it to the bowl of a Cuisinart Food Processor.

4. Measure and then add the 3/4 cup Pine Nuts to the Food Processor.

5. Peel the 2-4 Garlic Cloves and then add them to the Food Processor. As the entirety of the bowl will be processed together, there is no need to mince the garlic ahead of time, just plop those cloves in whole.

6. Measure and then add the 1/4 cup Lemon Juice and 1/2 cup Oil. The lemon juice will help to keep the basil and garlic fresh.

7. Measure and then add the 1/2 tsp Salt and 1/4 tsp Pepper.

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8. Add the 3/4 cups Dairy Free Mozzarella cheese shreds to the Food Processor. You can also use Daiya Dairy Free Parmesan Style Shreds as it would be a better alternative to help keep this recipe Dairy Free.

9. Place the lid on the Food Processor, then turn on and process until the ingredients are smooth, around 1-2 minutes, or until the basil looks like it is fully processed.

10. Use a spatula and scrape the sides of the bowl down, then process for another 10 seconds.

11. Use a spatula to transfer the Dairy Free Pesto to a bowl or an airtight container.

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Dinner Tonight

Tonight, for dinner, we used this homemade from scratch Dairy Free Pesto and made Pesto Chicken Sandwiches. With a ciabatta roll, mayo, pesto and grilled chicken, these sandwiches are a great dinner recipe.

For the full recipe for Pesto Chicken Sandwiches, click HERE or the blog post below.

The BEST Pesto Chicken Sandwiches Recipe for Dinner

This post was all about how to make a Dairy Free Pesto that is amazing on sandwiches and pasta.
~Monica

References

 (1) Ratto, Giovanni Battista (1863). La Cuciniera Genovese. Genoa: Fratelli Pagano. Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2020.

(2) Pesto - Wikipedia

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