IS PESTO PALEO?

Northern Italian cuisine has taken the biggest hit in the Paleo field. While you’re cutting out processed Western and Americanized foods, you’re quickly realizing that your rich Italian pasta dishes and creamy cheesy sauces aren’t quite so good for you. You know you can’t enjoy pesto Alfredo over pasta anymore, but does that mean all pesto is a no-no? Is pesto Paleo?

What is Pesto?

Traditional pesto (pesto Genovese) sauce is made from very simple ingredients: lots of fresh basil, a squeeze of lemon juice, freshly grated parmesan cheese, olive oil, and pine nuts for that perfect finish. There are plenty of varieties of pesto, including those for people with nut allergies, and similar sauces made from other herbs, including cilantro, dill, and mint.

Is Pesto Paleo?

Traditionally, pesto contains Parmesan cheese, which makes it primal, but not Paleo. However, you can easily make Paleo Pesto by omitting the Parmesan cheese. The texture is slightly different, and you might have to adjust the amount of oil to compensate, but the fresh basil will come through beautifully and you’ll be able to enjoy delicious pesto over cauliflower rice, spaghetti squash, and chicken.

• Creamy Paleo Avocado Pesto (stupideasypaleo.com)
• Is All Cheese Created Equal? (marksdailyapple.com)
• Paleo Pasta Recipes (paleogrubs.com)
• Pesto Genovese: an Ageless Benchmark of Great Italian Cuisine (itchefs-gvci.com)

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