How to Make Home-Made Sunflower Seed Pesto

Classic pesto is built on pine nuts. They're delicious, but they're also expensive and a problem for anyone with a nut allergy. Sunflower seeds solve both issues. Cheap, widely available, and completely nut-free, they produce a pesto that is every bit as good — earthy, herby, and deeply satisfying.

This is a regular in the Casa Adora kitchen, and it takes about five minutes from start to finish.

Homemade sunflower seed pesto — a nut-free, budget-friendly alternative to classic pine nut pesto, made in a black granite pestle and mortar at Casa Adora, Andalucía.

The Recipe Homemade Sunflower Seed Pesto

• 120g sunflower seeds
• 1 bunch fresh basil, roughly torn
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 100g Parmesan, chopped
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil
• ½ lemon, juiced
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed

Place all the ingredients in a blender and pulse, drizzling in the olive oil as you go, until you have a smooth-ish paste. If you have the muscles for it, a pestle and mortar works beautifully — and gives you more control over the texture.

How to Use It

Toss through pasta straight from the pan — the residual heat loosens it perfectly. Spoon over grilled fish or chicken thighs. Stir through roasted vegetables, particularly courgette, aubergine, or cherry tomatoes. Use as a dressing for a warm potato salad.

This recipe is part of my Spice Blends & Condiments and Sauces, Salsas & Dressings collections.

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Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef