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

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 almondspine nutsnutritional 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:

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:

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.

Artichoke pesto close up in a bowl

Artichoke Pesto

By: Nico Pallotta
5 from 3 votes
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.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 cup
Course: Dressing & Sauces
Cuisine: Italian

Equipment

  • Food processor or blender

Ingredients

  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 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
  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 1079kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 100g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g, Monounsaturated Fat: 63g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Potassium: 1023mg, Dietary Fiber: 15g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1325IU, Vitamin B6: 1mg, Vitamin C: 6mg, Vitamin E: 24mg, Vitamin K: 151µg, Calcium: 191mg, Folate: 46µg, Iron: 6mg, Manganese: 3mg, Magnesium: 203mg, Zinc: 3mg
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Nico and Louise in the kitchen

Hi! We are Nico & Louise

Welcome to The Plant-Based School, a food blog with easy, tasty, and wholesome recipes.

Our aim is to help you and your family eat more veggies through delicious recipes with simple ingredients.

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