Rosemary Pesto

This Rosemary Pesto recipe is the perfect addition to a hearty bowl of white beans, roasted meat, pizza, pasta–the list goes on. If you enjoy traditional basil pesto, then this rosemary pesto is right up your alley. The first time I tried rosemary pesto, it was dotted atop a delicious spicy sausage, spinach, and red pepper pizza. The flavors were out of this world so I decided to perfect a recipe and try it out with new ingredients. The winning duo for me thus far is white beans, or cannellini beans, drizzled with rosemary pesto and garnished with toasted pine nuts, chili flakes, and finely grated parmesan. Recipe for this coming soon!

How to Make Rosemary Pesto

The preparation of rosemary pesto can be as simple or complex as you make it. Traditionally, pesto is made in a mortar and pestle which allows the flavors to be extracted with mashing and bruising. Unfortunately, rosemary isn’t as soft as basil so pounding with a mortar and pestle could take forever. Instead, I got the benefits by doing a little of both. I finely minced the rosemary and then added it to the mortar and pestle to be mashed as a traditional pesto. All other steps are the same. Here is a breakdown of the steps (more details in the recipe):

1. Mince the rosemary to make it easier to pound.
2. Place the garlic in the mortar with a little salt and crush until it is a fine paste.
3. Toss in the minced rosemary with the garlic and pound until it resembles a paste.
4. Add in the pine nuts and crush until incorporated.
5. Add in the cheese and incorporate.
6. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to grind.
7. Season with salt and pepper.

Tips & Substitutions

If you like a little spice, you could add in some chili flakes in the garlic crushing step (step 2). If you don’t like pine nuts, use walnuts or almonds. There are countless ways to personalize or change up your pesto. Try it out, you may find you could create your own recipe! Or share your findings in the comments–I’d love to hear your creative additions 🙂

If you like trying pesto with different herbs, you should definitely try Arugula Pesto. This one is one of my favorites; it’s slightly spicy, very healthy, and you can make a lot with just a few handfuls of greens. So good in pasta, pizza, and as a dip for bread or veggies.

Print Recipe

Rosemary Pesto

Sauce – Mediterranean

By Katelyn Bailey – Serves: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes – Cooking Time: 0 minutes – Total Time: 10 minutes

This rosemary pesto is fragrant, intense and perfect for roasted or grilled meats and veggies. It's especially delicious when spooned on top of a bowl of slow cooked white beans.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of rosemary, about 6-8 sprigs
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
• 1/3 cup parmesan
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1

Wash, dry, and mince the rosemary to make it easier to pound.

2

Place the garlic in the mortar with a little salt and crush until it is a fine paste.

3

Toss in the minced rosemary with the garlic and pound until it resembles a paste. This will take at least 3-5 minutes.

4

Add in the pine nuts and crush until incorporated; about a minute.

5

Add in the cheese and incorporate for 1-2 minutes.

6

Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to grind. You can do more of a stir motion now that everything has been made into a paste.

7

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition

• 123 Calories
• .8g Carbohydrates
• 3mg Cholesterol
• 13.3g Fat
• .2g Fiber
• 1.8g Protein
• 2.4g Saturated fat
• 44mg Sodium
• .1g Sugar

Notes

Rosemary pesto is refrigerable for two weeks for best quality. Top with a thin layer of olive oil when you put it back in the fridge to create a 'fat cap'.