• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Somebody Feed Seb
  • Home
  • VEGANUARY
  • MAINS
    • MEAT & POULTRY
    • FISH & SEAFOOD
    • PASTA
    • RISOTTO
    • SALADS & BOWLS
    • SOUP
    • VEGETARIAN
    • VEGAN
    • BUDGET
  • SOURDOUGH
    • ACTIVE STARTER
    • DISCARD
  • DESSERTS & BAKES
    • CAKES & TORTES
    • TARTS & PIES
    • CHEESECAKE
    • COOKIES, BISCUITS, BARS
    • DESSERTS
    • SMALL BAKES
  • BREAKFAST
  • SIDE DISHES
menu icon
go to homepage
  • RECIPES
  • ABOUT ME
  • CONTACT
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • RECIPES
    • ABOUT ME
    • CONTACT
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » PANTRY

    Basil and Walnut Pesto with Cheddar

    Published: August 19, 2022 · Updated: August 19, 2022 by Ieva · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Pesto doesn’t have to be made with parmesan and pine nuts to taste amazing! What is more, Pesto is extremely versatile: fill your toasties with it, make delicious pasta dishes or thin it with a little oil and drizzle over your fish and poultry dishes. Our quick, simple, and extremely flavoursome Basil and Walnut Pesto can be made with your everyday Cheddar!

    Take Me To:
    • Homemade vs Shop-Bought Pesto
    • Ingredients
    • Method
      • Using a Food Processor
      • Using a Pestle and Mortar
    • What To Use Walnut and Cheddar Pesto For?
    • Other Sauce and Dip Recipes
    • Recipe Card

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost for you! Thank you!

    Homemade vs Shop-Bought Pesto

    One of the simplest and quickest meals we make is Pesto Pasta with lots of vegetables. The one thing that takes it to another level is homemade pesto. I’ll admit, I used to buy pesto for years. Until one day I had a pot of basil that was starting to look a bit sorry for itself on my window sill. I made my own Cheddar pesto and never looked back.

    Since then, I’ve made numerous types of pesto, experimenting with different herbs, nuts, and cheese. Here, I present to you, my absolute favourite – Basil and Walnut Pesto with Cheddar! Quick and easy to make, it packs lots more flavour than a shop-bought pesto!

    Pesto pasta made with homemade pesto in a white bowl.
    Pasta made with homemade Basil, Walnut & Cheddar Pesto

    Ingredients

    Have you ever asked yourself: ‘Can I use Cheddar instead of Parmesan in pesto?’. Well, we will tell you straight up: the answer is YES!

    Simple delicious ingredients are what make this pesto: fragrant fresh basil, sharp mature cheddar, pungent garlic, walnuts, and zingy lemon, all finished with extra virgin olive oil.

    This pesto has been tested with toasted and untoasted walnuts. I found that it’s slightly too bitter if I use toasted nuts. But the addition of lemon zest, alongside lemon juice, adds just the right amount of bitterness.

    Ingredients for pesto on a wooden chopping board.

    Method

    To make this pesto you need either a food processor (or even a powerful smoothie maker/ blender) or a large pestle and mortar.

    Using a Food Processor

    If you’re using a food processor, all you need is to put all the ingredients, except for olive oil, into the processor and blitz until you reach a consistency that you like. Then mix in extra virgin olive oil at the end. Similarly, you can make pesto in a powerful blender/ smoothie maker. This method is great if you want a smooth pesto, without much texture.

    Ingredinets for walnut pesto in a glass of a smoothie maker.

    Using a Pestle and Mortar

    If you’re using a pestle and mortar, I recommend you chop your ingredients finely first to make your life easier. Put everything, but grated cheddar and olive oil in pestle and mortar, and crush until desired consistency is reached. Mix in cheese and olive oil at the end. Your pesto may have a more rustic look but will taste just as delicious. We actually prefer our pesto with a little bit of extra texture.

    Pesto mushed into paste in a wooden pestle and mortar.

    What To Use Walnut and Cheddar Pesto For?

    The amounts in this recipe are for 3 portions of pasta. But I don’t want you to think that that’s all it can be used for. We love homemade pesto with cheddar used in a variety of different ways:

    • Spread the pesto on the slices of bread, top with cheese and make delicious toasties.
    • Mix your pesto with ground almonds, walnuts or breadcrumbs and spread on white fish before cooking in the oven.
    • Pesto makes a delicious pizza topping too.

    Other Sauce and Dip Recipes

    • Basil & Hazelnut Pesto
    • Plum and Red Onion Chutney
    • Chipotle Yogurt Dressing + Dip

    Recipe Card

    Walnut Pesto with Cheddar in a wooden pestle and mortar.

    Basil and Walnut Pesto with Cheddar

    Pesto doesn't have to be made with parmesan and pine nuts to taste amazing! What is more, Pesto is extremely versatile: fill your toasties with it, make delicious pasta dishes or thin it with a little oil and drizzle over your fish and poultry dishes. Our quick, simple, and extremely flavoursome Basil and Walnut Pesto can be made with your everyday Cheddar!
    4.80 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Sauce
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 3 -4 servings
    Calories 275 kcal

    Equipment

    • Pestle and Mortar or Food Processor

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 30 g fresh basil leaves only
    • 30 g walnuts untoasted
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
    • zest of half a lemon
    • 1 small garlic clove finely chopped
    • 60 g mature cheddar finely grated
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

    Instructions
     

    If Using Pestle & Mortar:

    • Chop your basil, lemon zest, walnuts and garlic as finely as you can. Tip them into a pestle and mortar, add salt and pepper and lemon juice. Crush everything together until desired consistency is reached. Then mix in your finely grated Cheddar. Mix in the olive oil.

    If Using Food Processor:

    • Tip all the ingredients, except for olive oil, into a food processor and blitz to desired consistency. Stir in the olive oil

    Notes

    If you are planning to use pesto as a drizzle or a salad dressing, thin it with more extra virgin olive oil. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 275kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 7gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 326mgPotassium: 97mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 731IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 172mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword Basil Pesto, Homemade Pesto With Cheddar, Pesto, Pesto With Walnuts, Pesto without Parmesan, Pesto without Pinenuts, Walnut Pesto, Walnut Pesto with Cheddar
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Pin for Pinterest.

    More PANTRY

    • Homemade Chinese BBQ Sauce Recipe (Char Siu Sauce)
    • Spicy Bell Pepper Chutney With Chilli
    • Easy Plum and Cinnamon Jam
    • Tomato and Chilli Chutney with Ginger

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Beth Sachs

      December 02, 2020 at 2:16 pm

      5 stars
      I love the idea of using walnuts and cheddar. Definitely more frugal ingredients than Parmesan and pine nuts.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        December 02, 2020 at 7:51 pm

        Beth, yes! Exactly what we had in mind when we made this pesto! We always appreciate spending less without compromising on flavour! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Tavo

      April 01, 2021 at 11:47 am

      5 stars
      The pesto was super flavorfull. We had it with a pasta salad and was great.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        April 01, 2021 at 7:54 pm

        Thanks, Tavo!

        Reply
    3. Amanda Wren-Grimwood

      November 20, 2021 at 4:25 pm

      5 stars
      I actually prefer pesto with walnuts to pine nuts and this version is so tasty with the cheddar too.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        November 20, 2021 at 9:56 pm

        We prefer it too in many ways, lots of flavour and a lot less expensive too 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    A photo of Ieva lookinf at Seb, both smiling.

    Hi, I am Ieva – the face behind this blog. I live in North Wales with my husband Seb and our golden retriever Sawyer. It’s safe to say that I live and breathe food: from researching and reading about food to creating new recipes and growing vegetables to use in my cooking.  The great thing is, Seb appreciates all the good meals that are also essential at his worst ‘hangry’ moments! Somebody HAS to feed Seb…

    More about me →

    Seasonal Recipes

    • Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
    • Torta Pasqualina: Italian Spinach Pie for Easter
    • Perfect Easter Roast: Apricot Stuffed Leg of Lamb
    • Slow Cooker Lamb Shoulder

    Trending Recipes

    • Irresistible No-Bake Biscoff Cheesecake (6 Ingredients)
    • Fried Tenderstem Broccoli with Garlic and Lemon (Garlic Broccolini)
    • Sticky Crispy Chicken Bao Buns
    • Homemade Chinese BBQ Sauce Recipe (Char Siu Sauce)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Somebody Feed Seb