Why does pesto include nuts?

[ChefJune]

Trader Joe has a pretty good price on pine nuts. Also, Costco sells it but you have to buy too much for it to be worth it.

If you find pine nuts for less than $25 a pound, they are surely from China. I don't know about you, but I'm not too keen about eating Chinese imports these days....

They are also not exactly the same as the Mediterranean pine nuts. I participated in a side-by-side (blind) tasting a few years ago.

Pistachios are a good sub, I like walnuts, but I think they taste a LOT different from pine nuts. And, as I think I said earlier in this thread, the French don't use any nuts in their pesto (which they call pistou).

 

[tmh425]

Well, I've learned an amazing wealth of info on walnuts & their health benefits. Thanks for that! I have a spiced walnut recipe that I make for the holidays that I will no longer feel bad about snacking upon so much! I always freeze all my nuts since they have oils in them. When I can find them, I put pine nuts on tons of pastas, salads, in humus, on crostinis in soups... I will try Trader Joes, though don't have one local currently. DH especially loves them & when I've toasted any they disappear before I can use them! Next year I will have to try pesto with pistachios, which I love as well.