Gut Loving Basil Pesto
This gut-loving basil pesto is a simple, flexible recipe designed to boost flavour and nutrition. By combining fresh basil with a mix of nuts and seeds, this pesto provides healthy fats, plant diversity and added fibre, all supportive of gut health.
Unlike traditional pesto recipes that rely on a single nut, this version encourages variety. Nuts and seeds can be swapped based on taste, allergies or what’s already in the pantry, making it a practical option for everyday meals.
Why This Pesto Supports Gut Health
From a dietitian’s perspective, this pesto works well nutritionally because it includes:
Seeds (pepitas and sunflower seeds) for fibre, zinc and magnesium
Extra virgin olive oil for anti-inflammatory fats
Fresh herbs to support plant diversity in the diet
Flexible ingredients, making it easier to include regularly
Gut health isn’t about perfection, it’s about consistency and variety. This pesto makes both easy to achieve.
Ingredients
2 cups fresh basil
½ cup nuts (you can use a mixture eg: almonds, cashews or pine nuts also work)
1 tablespoon pepitas
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
3 cloves garlic
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1–2 teaspoons salt flakes (to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper
Approximately ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Ingredient quantities can be adjusted based on taste and texture preferences.
Method
Add all ingredients to a food processor.
Blend until the desired consistency is reached, gradually adding olive oil as needed. You can leave it quite chunky, or blend smooth depending on your preference.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
How to Use This Basil Pesto
This gut-loving pesto is incredibly versatile and works well across meals and snacks:
Spread on wholegrain toast with cottage cheese (or ricotta) and tomato
Smeared onto wholegrain crackers or Vita-Weats
Dolloped through a chicken salad
Mixed through lentil or wholegrain pasta with greens and diced chicken
Dietitian Tip
Traditional pesto recipes aren’t a requirement for good nutrition. Mixing nuts and seeds increases fibre and plant variety, both of which are associated with improved gut health over time.