Artichoke pesto is a delectable savory sauce made with artichokes and several other ingredients often consisting of basil, nuts, cheese, garlic, olive oil, and seasonings. The variations of the pesto sauce are explained in terms of use of distinct ingredients. Any kind of nuts like almonds, walnuts, or pine nuts can be used to prepare the pesto. Further, ingredients like spinach, cauliflower, and arugula can also be included in the sauce. The cheese used in the pesto may vary from one recipe to the other; however, parmesan cheese is the most common type of cheese used. The artichoke based pesto can be served with several dishes, with pasta and crackers being the preferred choices.
Artichoke Pesto Preparation Overview
A popular artichoke pesto recipe suggests using pine nuts, artichoke hearts, garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, fresh basil, nutritional yeast, pepper, and salt as the ingredients. The pesto is prepared by blending together all the ingredients until a smooth consistency is attained.
Popular Artichoke Pesto Ingredient Variations
Artichoke pesto can be made in variety of ways, a few of which have been discussed below:
- Walnuts, almonds, or pistachio nuts can be used in place of pine nuts to prepare the artichoke based pesto.
- Basil can be substituted with parsley.
- Most of the recipes suggest the addition of some form of cheese like parmesan cheese or pecorino Romano cheese to prepare the pesto.
- Smoked or regular paprika can also be used as one of the ingredients of the pesto for a slight spicy flavor.
- One of the variations is made using steamed cauliflower in the pesto.
- Arugula (aromatic salad green) and baby spinach are combined along with artichokes, garlic, basil, nuts, olive oil, and seasonings to make the artichoke pesto.
Serving
- Artichoke based pesto can be served with crackers or chips.
- It is served popularly with pasta. Bacon based pasta pairs very well with artichoke based pesto.
- Artichoke pesto is a nice accompaniment for grilled meats.
Artichoke Based Pesto Nutrition Facts
120 g of artichoke provides around 60 calories, obtained from 115 mg of sodium, 13 g of carbohydrates, and 4 g of protein. Artichoke pesto made with artichokes would help in preventing an individual from several chronic diseases like cancer, obesity, heart problems, and liver disease.
