Cashew Pesto in Five Minutes: A Pine Nut Alternative

Traditional pesto uses pine nuts, which are costly and hard to find in Sri Lanka. Cashews are creamy and mild, just like pine nuts, so they make an excellent, much cheaper substitute.

1/2 cup roasted cashews, about 2 cups of fresh basil leaves, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/4 to 1/3 cup of olive oil, the juice of half a lemon, salt and pepper, and optionally a handful of grated parmesan or another hard cheese. If basil is hard to get, mix in some coriander or mint leaves.

Put the cashews and garlic in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the basil, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pulse again. With the machine running, slowly pour in the olive oil until the pesto is smooth but still has a little texture. Stir in the cheese if using, then taste and adjust the salt and lemon.

Toss it through hot pasta with a splash of the pasta water, spread it on sandwiches, spoon it onto grilled chicken or fish, or stir it into rice. It's also a good dip with vegetables. A thinned-out spoonful makes a quick salad dressing.

Pulse the cashews and garlic first so they break down before the basil goes in, and avoid running the machine for too long once the leaves are added, because over-processing can make the pesto dull and slightly bitter. Add the oil slowly, and stop when the texture looks the way you like it. A squeeze of lemon brightens the flavour and helps hold the green colour.

If the garlic tastes too sharp, use one clove instead of two, or soak the cloves in the lemon juice for a few minutes before blending.

If basil is hard to find or expensive, make a green sauce from fresh coriander and mint, with a green chilli, a squeeze of lime and the same cashews and olive oil. It is closer to a chutney than a classic pesto, and it is excellent with rice, grilled fish, sandwiches and string hoppers. Taste as you go and adjust the chilli and lime to your liking.

Leave out the parmesan and the recipe is dairy-free, and a spoonful of nutritional yeast or a little extra lemon and salt makes up for the missing savoury flavour. Remember that cashews are a tree nut, so pesto made with them is not suitable for anyone with a tree nut allergy. See tree nut allergy and cashews.

Keep it in a jar in the fridge with a thin layer of oil on top to stop the colour browning. It's best within 4 to 5 days. You can freeze it in an ice cube tray for longer.

Lightly roasted cashews give a rounder flavour, and plain ones give a milder, creamier result. Our Oven Roasted Cashew works well, and if you'd like a creamier base, try cashew cream. More ideas are in our cashew recipes. Amounts are a starting point, so taste as you go.