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    Home » Dressings & Sauces

    Artichoke Pesto

    Published: May 31, 2022 · by Nico

    Jump to Recipe

    Artichoke pesto is creamy, mild, earthy, and with a delicate artichoke flavor. It's quick and easy to make with jarred artichoke hearts and fresh basil.

    Enjoy artichoke pesto just like any other pesto. It's great as a sauce with pasta, as a spread on bruschetta, or with pizza and veggies.

    artichoke pesto
    On this page:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Serving suggestions
    • More artichoke recipes
    • More pesto recipes
    • Storage
    • Recipe
    • Artichoke Pesto

    To learn more on this topic, check out our guide on how to make vegan pesto + 9 pesto recipes.

    Artichokes are an incredible vegetable and we love cooking them in the most varied ways, including pesto. To learn more about this wonderful vegetable, check out our guide on "how to cook with artichokes" where we share 10+ easy and delicious artichoke recipes.

    Artichoke pesto is not your usual pesto and it will most definitely surprise you. Try this recipe if you are looking for something different than the more common pesto with basil (which love so much but occasionally need a break from).

    This recipe is quick and easy to make in just 5 minutes in a food processor. We use jarred artichoke hearts and basil as the main ingredients.

    The recipe is dairy-free and vegan so that anyone can enjoy it. Parmesan cheese is replaced with nuts and nutritional yeast.

    The result is a tasty, healthy, and nutritious recipe to use as a quick meal, for instance with pasta or toasted bread, when you don't have much time to cook.

    TIP: Are you curious about artichokes? Here's our ultimate guide on how to cook with artichokes with 10+ easy artichoke recipes.

    artichoke pesto on bruschetta

    Ingredients

    artichoke pesto ingredients

    Artichokes: we use jarred artichoke hearts to make this recipe in 5 minutes. If you want to use homecooked artichokes you can do so. You can use braised artichokes, pan-fried artichokes, or steamed artichokes.

    Basil: we mix artichokes with fresh basil leaves to make the pesto more aromatic. You can substitute flat-leaf parsley or mint for the basil.

    Pine nuts: to add a distinctive creamy texture and nutty flavor to the pesto. If you can't find pine nuts, use more of the other nuts.

    Almonds: we use them to replace the texture of the parmesan cheese. Other nuts you can use are walnuts and macadamia. Use nuts raw, without toasting them.

    Garlic: a key ingredient in pesto.

    Nutritional yeast: to add a mild cheesy flavor. Combined with the almonds makes for a great parmesan cheese replacement.

    Olive oil: best if extra virgin as it's more nutritious and more flavorful.

    Water: we use water to make the pesto thinner without using too much oil. Add more or less water based on how thin or thick you want your artichoke pesto to be. Ours has a medium thickness so that you can use it as a spread.

    Salt: since we are not using salty parmesan cheese or pecorino cheese, we need salt to make the pesto taste good.

    Lemon: we do not add lemon juice to our artichoke pesto recipe. However, before serving you can squeeze some lemon on top of the pesto or grate some lemon zest. For example, we do just that in the artichoke pesto pasta in the picture below.

    artichoke pesto pasta

    Instructions

    Peel and cut the garlicinhalf lengthwise, remove its core, if any, and add the clove to the food processor.Note: the core of the garlic can be hard to digest; we remove it to have a lighter pesto.

    Add almonds, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, and salt.

    dry ingredients in food processor

    Blend until you get a finely coarse texture (1 minute).

    finely coarse nuts, garlic, and salt

    Add drained artichoke hearts, basil leaves, and olive oil.

    artichoke hearts and basil leaves in food processor

    Pulse a few times until the artichokes and the basil are fully incorporated with the other ingredients. Taste and adjust for salt. If you prefer a thinner pesto, add more oil or water.

    artichoke pesto in a food processor

    Serving suggestions

    If you're wondering what to serve with artichoke pesto, look no further. Pesto and pasta are great together, and this artichoke pesto is not different. To use it with pasta, add pesto to a bowl, add ½ cup of pasta cooking water, and stir to dilute it. Reserve some more pasta water for later.

    Drain pasta, add it to the bowl with the pesto, and stir to combine. Add more reserved pasta water or more artichoke pesto if necessary. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve.

    Tip: remember to salt the pasta cooking water with a generous amount of salt before cooking the pasta.

    artichoke pesto pasta

    To use it on bruschetta, toast some slices of bread, like ciabatta bread with a drizzle of olive oil, spread the pesto, and add a piece of artichoke on top. Perfect as a starter or as a side dish.

    artichoke pesto on bruschetta

    More artichoke recipes

    To learn more about artichokes, check out our artichoke recipes guide where we explain in-depth how to cook with artichokes and share with you our favorite artichoke recipes. Some of those are:

    • Braised Artichokes or Roman Style Artichokes.
    • Steamed Artichokes - buttery, light, and healthy.
    • Oven-roasted artichokes with potatoes - one of the best side dishes ever.

    More pesto recipes

    Pesto is an easy way to dress a chickpea pasta salad, add creaminess to a bowl of pasta, and serve as a colorful appetizer with veggie sticks. It's also a handy way to get more veggies into your diet, so take your pick from our pesto selection:

    • Arugula pesto: a healthy and deep green sauce that works well in potato salad and couscous salad
    • Chestnut pesto is a luxurious pesto perfect for fall and winter. It pairs well with spaghetti and roasted mushrooms and is cozy, and scrumptious
    • Sun-dried tomato pesto free from pine nuts and with healthy omega-3 fats - it's a great dip served with focaccia or toasted bread
    • Red pepper pesto is a spreadable pesto that pairs wonderfully with grilled veggies in a sandwich, one of our favorite quick lunch ideas
    • Parsley pesto is perfect as a drizzle for air fried and roasted vegetables such as asparagus and artichokes
    • Zucchini pesto is a fresh summer pesto. It's a perfect condiment for BBQ night to drizzle on grilled veggies and mains

    How do you eat pesto in your home? We'd love to hear from you, let us know in the comments below!

    Storage

    artichoke pesto in a jar ready to be frozen

    Store in the refrigerator in a bowl with a thin layer of olive oil on top to prevent it from drying out for up to 5 days.

    Alternatively, transfer into a small jar or in ice tray cubes and freeze for up to 6 months.

    Recipe

    Artichoke pesto close up in a bowl

    Artichoke Pesto

    Author: Nico
    Artichoke pesto is creamy, mild, earthy, and with a delicate artichoke flavor. It's quick and easy to make with jarred artichoke hearts and fresh basil.
    Enjoy artichoke pesto just like any other pesto. It's great as a sauce with pasta, as a spread on bruschetta, or with pizza and veggies.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    5 from 1 vote
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 0 mins
    Total Time 5 mins
    Course Dressing & Sauces
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 1 cup
    Calories 1079 kcal

    Equipment

    • Food processor or blender

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 small garlic clove
    • ⅓ cup almonds (or walnuts)
    • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
    • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup artichoke hearts
    • 1 packed cup basil leaves (or flat-leaf parsley)
    • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • ⅓ cup water (or more for a thinner consistency)

    Instructions
     

    • Peel and cut the garlic in half lengthwise, remove its core, if any, and add the clove to the food processor.
      Note: the core of the garlic can be hard to digest; we remove it to have a lighter pesto.
      removing core of the garlic
    • Add almonds, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, and salt.
      dry ingredients in food processor
    • Blend until you get a finely coarse texture (1 minute).
      finely coarse nuts, garlic, and salt
    • Add drained artichoke hearts, basil leaves, and olive oil.
      artichoke hearts and basil leaves in food processor
    • Pulse a few times until the artichokes and the basil are fully incorporated with the other ingredients.
      Taste and adjust for salt. If you prefer a thinner pesto, add more oil or water.
      artichoke pesto in a food processor
    • Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator in a bowl with a thin layer of olive oil on top to prevent it from drying out. Alternatively, transfer into a small jar and freeze for up to 6 months.
      artichoke pesto in a jar ready to be frozen
    • To use it with pasta, add pesto to a bowl, add ½ cup of pasta cooking water, and stir to dilute it. Reserve some more pasta water for later.
      Drain pasta, add it to the bowl with the pesto and stir to combine. Add more reserved pasta water or more artichoke pesto if necessary. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve.
      Tip: remember to salt the pasta cooking water with a generous amount of salt. before cooking the pasta.
      artichoke pesto pasta
    • To use it on bruschetta, toast some slices of bread, like ciabatta bread with a drizzle of olive oil, spread the pesto, and add a piece of artichoke on top. Perfect as a starter or as a side dish.
      artichoke pesto on bruschetta

    Notes

    To learn more about vegan pesto check out our guide "how to make vegan pesto" which includes many pesto variations.
    For more artichoke recipes, check out our artichoke recipes roundup.
    Nutrition information is for the whole cup of pesto.

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    Artichoke Pesto
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 1079 Calories from Fat 900
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 100g154%
    Saturated Fat 11g69%
    Trans Fat 1g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 19g
    Monounsaturated Fat 63g
    Cholesterol 0mg0%
    Potassium 1023mg29%
    Carbohydrates 29g10%
    Dietary Fiber 15g63%
    Sugar 4g4%
    Protein 27g54%
    Vitamin A 1325IU27%
    Vitamin B6 1mg50%
    Vitamin C 6mg7%
    Vitamin E 24mg160%
    Vitamin K 151µg144%
    Calcium 191mg19%
    Folate 46µg12%
    Iron 6mg33%
    Manganese 3mg150%
    Magnesium 203mg51%
    Zinc 3mg20%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?We are not much on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Leave us a comment below instead, it would mean the world to us 🙂

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      40 Vegan Pasta Recipes
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    Nico and Louise founders of the Plant-Based School.

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