Pesto and what ever you decide to do with it can be expensive, but it can also be made on a budget! This budget green pesto pasta recipe might not be classic but will definitely be 100% delicious!

How to make your perfect budget pesto…

This recipe is anything but classic! Traditionally, pesto will contain pine nuts, basil, olive oil, garlic and hard cheese. Absolutely delicious! However, with todays prices, this meal might not be as cheap as it once was…and this should be a cheap meal!

This budget green pesto recipe is designed to be completely adaptable which is one of the greatest things about it. Here you can use ingredients which you might have to hand in the cupboard, straight from the garden or from the bargain bin…what ever you can find and is available and cheapest at the time.

This budget green pesto recipe can be made many different ways. We have it almost every week and quite often change the recipe up.

We have 5 main ingredients to a good pesto…

The Greens…

We have an almost unlimited amount of options here. Some of these options will include kale, spinach, basil, coriander and parsley. You can really use any good, green, edible leaf. I would suggest using only soft fresh leaves but you can use anything, a mixture of a few things or just one or a couple different options.

You can use what you find in the bargain bin at the supermarket or even better, use what you have growing in the garden. You may want to use tops from your garden veg like the broccoli or cauliflower leaves, it’s all up for grabs. Do feel free to experiment… thats where you find the tasty treats you never thought of!
Ooh really exciting, you could forage (in an area you know you are allowed to, ofcourse) and gather some young nettles and use those!
One rule to follow, dont use any dried herbs for fresh pesto. They just aren’t the same in any way. You may read sites which try and rehydrate them but I would definately suggest not bothering. With the selection of fresh leaves out there to use, you don’t need to bother with dried herbs.

Nuts…

There are a few different options here in that you can almost use any nut you fancy! Classically it’s pine nuts but they are one of the most expensive nuts and there really is no need to use them if you don’t want to pay the money for them. Firstly try different nuts like walnuts, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts or pistachios. They can be expensive depending on where you choose to buy them. I buy them at Aldi quite regularly which seems to be the cheapest way to buy them.
As another option, you could use a bean to bulk out the pesto. You get the creaminess but no crunch of any kind which in my mind does change the dish quite significantly.
Lastly, and what seems to work quite well is prepacked, salted nuts. Iv tried a few different types and with peanuts being the cheapest, I found them completely fine to use with only minimal difference in taste.

Oil…

I dont think you can really substitute olive oil when it comes to pesto. I also think the more money you pay, the better the oil you get and always go for the best you can get because you are getting the raw flavour for the most part. Considering that fact, we are a budget site, and when we are talking about reducing the cost of your pesto there are a few options you have.

You can firstly, try a range of different oils. When you go shopping look how much all of the oils cost and try a few different ones! You can use anything from avocado to vegetable oil. You will want 50-100ml to make a batch so you wont need much but have a peruse and try some. You might find a bargain and something different which you like.
You could also try using tahini or cream cheese which will transform the dish into something potentially something slightly different but still with a nice pesto vibe and might be an ingredient you already have in the cupboard or fridge.
Lastly, you have the option not to use oil at all! There will be a certain richness which you loose if you don’t use oil but if you are trying to get a delicious meal to the table, its completely achievable but just adding a bit more of the rest of the ingredients or try using a bit of the starchy pasta water to thin the pesto out.

Garlic…

Only use fresh garlic steering clear of the dried powders and granules. You can just about get away with a tube but a very expensive option. Garlic will last for a good while in the fridge. A great ingredient for the fridge store cupboard and completely delicious.

Cheese…

Its the hard, salty, tangyness of the parmesan which suits the freshness of the pesto so well…a match made in heaven you might say!? Well that may be true, but its not the be all and end all. Any cheese, as long as its hard and salty should do the job and there are a few you can choose from. Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano and Manchego are all fantastic cheeses when it comes to great pesto, but they aren’t cheap! Even for a bottom of the range Parmesan can cost you £1.70/100g.
Gouda and Grana Padano are slghtly cheaper in price and can give you the edge you need but I would definately go for the best cheddar I can afford. A nice, strong cheddar, most likely in the fridge already, and great for a vegetarian option would be my top choice for a budget pesto!
If you are interested in a dairy free option, leaving the cheese out and increasing the quantities of the other ingredients would work great!

Can you freeze this budget pesto?

Cheese generally doesn’t freeze well. If I was going to freeze this, I would freeze it before I added the cheese. It can be bended in afterwards.
Line an ice cube tray if you want handy cubes for small meals or, if like me, store nice big batches in a zip-lock bag and freeze flat.

A serving suggestion for this budget pesto…

We have this meal regularly and always serve it the same way…

Cut up a head of broccoli into inch sized bits and mix with 1tbsp olive oil, sprinkle of salt and a few chilli flakes. Roast in the oven for around half an hour at 180 degrees C.
Cook 500g of pasta until aldente, mix it with the pesto, top with some fried halumi, the brocolli and a few dashes of sweet chilli sauce…

My budget classic pesto pasta recipe…

Ingredients…

60g cheddar cheese, chopped
60g salted peanuts
1 large garlic clove
100ml olive oil
3 bunces of basil (about 90g)

Method…

Put your cheese, peanuts, garlic clove and olive oil into a food processor and give it a quick blitz.

Add your basil and whiz until smooth, season to taste.