This Low FODMAP Spinach Basil Pesto is made with garlic-infused olive oil, pine nuts, and a dash of lemon for the perfect compliment to any pasta dish.
I was meaning to write this blog a couple of months ago, but like I said in my previous post, this has been an incredibly busy summer! I would have liked to revisit my pesto recipe with you when basil was in its prime, but now it’s a little past that, although my plant is still going strong. Thanks to my husband. He’s the plant whisperer. I’m the plant killer. I talked my husband into taking care of my herbs this summer and they have flourished! I planted Italian parsley, thyme and basil. Here’s a photo of them a couple of months ago when they were full and lush:
I guess it’s better late than never for pesto. After many years of making this pesto recipe, it’s still a staple in our house. (My original recipe was published on allrecipes.com. You can find it here: Spinach Basil Pesto.) It’s a great alternative to tomato sauce. Plus, it’s really easy to make. Just throw all the ingredients a food processor and give it a whirl.
I thought I would update the recipe to be truly low-FODMAP. Before, I had the garlic as an optional ingredient, but I wanted to still include the garlic flavor. My answer: Fody Garlic Infused Oil! I actually like the pesto better with the garlic oil, it’s a little more mellow and not as pungent. I made a few more tweaks to the recipe and I love the resulting recipe.
Freeze Pesto for Easy Use
I like to freeze this Low FODMAP Spinach Basil Pesto in an ice cube tray. Once the cubes are frozen, just transfer them to a plastic freezer bag. They are ready and waiting for use! I love mixing a little pesto with some gluten-free pasta and some tolerable veggies and sauteed chicken. A quick and easy dinner (or lunch sometimes!). I usually use one cube per one (2 oz.) serving of gluten-free pasta.
Try this pesto sauce in these low-FODMAP recipes from my collection:
Low FODMAP Spinach Basil Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves, packed
- 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts or 1/4 cup toasted hulled sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup FODY Garlic Infused Oil*
Instructions
- Blend the spinach, basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a food processor until nearly smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary. Drizzle the remaining oil into the mixture while processing until smooth.
- Divide pesto evenly in an ice cube tray. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze. Once pesto is frozen, remove from tray and store in a heavy-duty freezer storage bag and use as needed.
Notes
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Just made this! So easy and incredibly delicious!!! Thanks for sharing.
Happy you liked it!
Greetings! Very helpful advice in this particular post! It’s the little changes which will make the most important changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
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What are sunflower nuts? I'm aware of sunflower seeds but not nuts unless they're the same thing. Plus, pine nuts are extremely expensive.
Sunflower nuts are basically hulled sunflower seeds. I guess technically they are not a nut, but I wanted to make the distinction that they are are the inside part of the seed. I'll update the recipe to make it clearer. Sorry about any confusion!