Low Carb Pesto Sauce-EASY

Low carb pesto sauce is complimented with peppery arugula, spinach, and a hint of lemon. This recipe will brighten up an array of dishes, including pasta, flatbreads, poultry, and much more. Try it out on our cheese pizza crust using it as your favorite sauce.

Pesto is one of my favorite sauces, which is no surprise with my immense love of fresh basil. A couple of my ideal ways to use this magical green sauce is to lather it on fresh vegetables and roast them and to layer it inside of sandwich wraps.

Quality Ingredients Matter

What you will need:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, removed of stems
• 1 cup arugula/spinach mix
• 1/4 cup almonds, unsalted
• 1/4 cup pecans, unsalted
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh squeezed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2/3 cup parmesan cheese, fresh grated
• 1/2 cup olive oil 

Having good quality ingredients is always a must for a great tasting pesto. Traditional pesto is a combination of basil, garlic, parmesan, pine nuts, lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil.

Parmesan helps to thicken the pesto and adds a great cheesy flavor. Don’t add salt until after adding the parmesan because parmesan packs a high salt content. We are talking about Parmigiano Reggiano, NEVER about grated parmesan cheese in a can!

Pesto Sauce Versatility

Pesto recipes are very versatile allowing substitutions for nuts and greenery. Pine nuts can be quite expensive so I love the combination of almonds and pecans here. Walnuts are a common substitution as well. If you want a deeper, nuttier flavored pesto, toast your nuts first. The variations of greenery are endless, some include kale, tarragon, mint and even avocado.

How to make Low Carb Pesto Sauce

Pick the basil of its stems and place in the food processor with the arugula and spinach mixture. Give the machine a quick wizz and add the minced garlic, nuts, parmesan and lemon juice in the food processor. Turn on to low and slowly drizzle the olive oil through the top, stop and scrape down the sides. Allow the mixture to blend together well but still have plenty of body.

Transfer to a sealable glass jar and layer extra olive oil over the top to help keep it from oxidizing. The pesto will keep for two to three weeks, covered in oil and with a tightly fitting lid.

Have you made this RECIPE? Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think.

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Looking for more great recipes? Check out roasted red pepper sauce and chicken with artichokes in pesto sauce.

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