Garlic and Oregano Pesto is a great way to use up surplus fresh oregano. It is just bursting with bold flavors and tastes great on grilled foods, especially if you are looking for a delicious zesty Mediterranean flavor. Oregano pesto freezes well so you can preserve the season and enjoy year round. A great fresh oregano recipe essential for the home gardener.
What To Do With All This Fresh Oregano? Make A Delicious Homemade Oregano Pesto!
I have had so much oregano growing in my garden, I just had to come up with a few oregano recipes to make sure it doesn't go to waste.
If you have been hanging around here at all then you know I just hate wasting food, especially something that I put so much effort into growing (ok the extent of effort with this was literally digging a hole and covering it up again...but still).
So I have been on the hunt for oregano recipes using fresh oregano for the past couple of weeks, when I had a little bit of an 'a-ha moment' and decided to use it up like I did my excess fennel, and whip up a fun pesto.
Fresh Oregano Pesto Is So Easy
We cut down a whole trees worth of oregano and got to pesto testing.
Well let me tell you, it was delicious! And so easy too. It freezes well too, so you can pop a couple batches in the freezer and enjoy that fresh zesty oregano flavor all year round.
Although, if your oregano is as crazy as mine, you will have the fresh stuff all year round anyway, but it's always nice to have something pre-prepared, right?
To make your own homemade oregano pesto you are going to need:
- Fresh oregano (of course)
- Parmesan cheese
- Garlic, peeled
- Raw almonds
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
That's it!
Just pop it all into a blender and watch the magic happen.
To store: pop into the fridge for around 5-7 days. I usually put an extra little layer of olive oil on top of the pesto and it helps to preserve it for a little longer and stops it from going brown on top.
If you want to freeze it then I usually freeze my pesto in ice cube trays. Just pop the mixture into the ice cube tray, freeze, and once frozen remove and store in a ziploc bag until needed.
If you love pesto then be sure to try this pesto al limone next!
I Have The Oregano Pesto, Now What Do I Do With It?
I hope you guys love this fresh garlic and oregano pesto as much as we do!
I use it anywhere I would normally use a good pesto. It goes particularly well with the following foods and recipes:
- jazz up pizza/pasta sauces;
- use as a pizza sauce itself;
- make a simple oregano pasta
- mix with some olive oil and drizzle in a nice salad;
- dress up some roast potatoes like these potatoes from A Communal Table;
- freshen up some oregano and lemon chicken skewers
- use in this creamy pesto gnocchi recipe
- add a dollop to some salmon and bake in the oven.
Troubleshooting:
- I can't have nuts: you can sub sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead.
- I can't handle raw garlic: sauté the garlic and allow to cool before adding to the rest of the ingredients in the blender.
- I don't have enough fresh oregano: if you have other herbs on hand then play around. This works well with some basil or parsley. Pesto's are very forgiving so just blend away and have some fun.
- I am vegan or don't eat dairy: sub in nutritional yeast instead, it works really well.
Need More Recipes Using Fresh Oregano?
I have a few more oregano recipes here you should definitely check out if you have a surplus on your hands are are wondering what to do with all this fresh oregano:
- Dehydrated Oregano Without A Dehydrator
- One Pot Oven Roasted Chicken with Potatoes
- Grilled Greek Potatoes In Foil With Lemon and Oregano
If you try it and love it, be sure to pop back and leave a comment. Also, if you have any other ideas on how to use up lots of oregano make sure to leave those in the comments as well, so everyone can benefit 🙂 Happy eating.
Recipe
Garlic and Oregano Pesto
Equipment
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Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh oregano, tightly packed
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ½ cup raw almonds
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Add all ingredients but the olive oil to the bowl of a food processor and grind until the mixture is slightly combined.
- With the processor still running, slowly stream in the olive oil until the mixture becomes smooth.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge, or freeze for later use (see notes for tips)
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Megan says
Really yummy. Our processor couldn't get the pesto to be as finely blended as the one in these photos here, but it was still absolutely delicious. I was worried the raw garlic would be too powerful but it wasn't. Pesto tasted very bright and fresh. Can't wait to use this recipe again! Thank you for sharing
Donna says
So glad you enjoyed it! Yes, I could never get it smooth enough for my liking with my cheaper food processor, but it still tasted yummy 🙂
Wendy Malepeai says
Please HELP! The prolific plant i grow in the tropics is called oregano, but it has fuzzy large leaves. I'm wondering where to find out if it is really oregano.
How many varieties of oregano are you familiar with?
We use the leaves chopped up and added to frozen pizza before baking, and it is said to be good in beef/tomato soups.
Does anyone else grow the big fuzzy leaved kind?
Donna says
Ooh, I would have no idea, although just did a quick google and it sounds like it could be Cuban oregano??
Bill says
Thank you. As far as I can tell this oregano just volunteered. Should I dry some of it?
Suelin says
This recipe is really delicious and so easy. I used roasted salted sunflower seeds and it tastes great!! Thanks for adding the different variation ideas!
Donna says
So glad you enjoyed it, love the addition of the roasted salted sunflower seeds!
Kendell Youngs says
Looking forward to making this tomorrow. My oregano is exploding! Please tell me--should all of the stems be removed or just the thicker ones?
Donna says
Just the thicker ones, I always leave the nice tender, thinner ones on there without an issue! Enjoy
Autumn says
My friend made this with oregano from my garden. She used walnuts instead. It was fantastic!
Donna says
I love how versatile pesto is!!
Laura says
I would like to make this, but wondering how much nutritional yeast to use. Would you sub maybe a quarter cup instead of 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese?
Donna says
Hi Laura, yes I think a quarter cup would work well!
Lexi says
Just finished making this! I used pistachios instead of almonds because that’s all I had, but it turned out great!! Also, I did mine in a regular blender and it seems like it needed more than a half of a cup of olive oil to get smooth. This is the first time I made pesto and it tastes AMAZING! I used fresh oregano and basil from my herb garden.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Donna says
Oh yay, I am glad it worked well for you. I love how versatile pesto is!! Enjoy
Rebecca says
I want to make this vegan with the nutritional yeast. How much nutritional yeast do you recommend?
Donna says
Hi Rebecca, I usually find half the amount of nutritional yeast as to the suggested amount of cheese works well. So here a 1/4 cup should suffice.
LYNDA VER HOEF says
Going to try the oregano I have in pesto! I've made basil pesto before with pinon or walnuts. One tip I learned to keep the herb green, is to blanch it briefly until it turns deep green. I'm curious to see how this works with the oregano. I'll let you know.
Tammy Hernandez says
Do you strip the leaves off the Oregano stems or use stems and all?
Donna says
You can strip them if you prefer, but I usually throw the whole thing in there to save on time.
Caroline says
I discovered that this is the perfect sauce for butternut squash ravioli which I buy at the supermarket. It has so much flavor and is a wonderful accompaniment to the sweetness of the pasta. I keep both items on hand in the freezer. A super simple but elegant dish!
Donna says
What a great idea Caroline! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Phil Barr says
I just inherited a high-producing oregano plant, which is why I thought of making pesto from it, so thank you.
You write really well. It was a pleasure reading your recipe.
Donna says
Thank you very much Phil, that made my day 🙂 Enjoy your plant!
Claire says
This was totally delicious!
I used it for a quick pasta side dish on Friday night.
I have a little left so I am going to mixed it with some canned tomatoes and heavy cream to make another pasta sauce.
Donna says
Oh yay I am so glad to hear! Love the sound of your next pasta sauce, so much flavour!
AL says
Can I blend basil and oregano together? Can I saute the garlic also?
Thanks
Donna says
Definitely!! This recipe is so versatile it really lends itself to any herbs being added. I use raw garlic to cut down on steps but sauteed garlic would certainly give it a great flavor and perhaps not so full on a garlic flavor!
Nikki says
I do different mixed blends of dried basils, oregano, sage, mints each year.
It depends on what I've got growing. Just blend some up & let the aroma guide you !
Donna says
Sounds like a great way to use up all those delicious herbs!
jennifer dietz says
How long will this pesto last in the refrigerator, if I didn't want to freeze it? I can't wait to try this recipe!
Donna1 says
Hey Jennifer, it should last for 5-7 days in the fridge. I always try to use up within a week and then transfer to the freezer. Enjoy!
Dawn says
Can anything be substituted ( or leave out) for the almonds? allergy issues
Admin Donna says
Hi Dawn, any nut would work just fine. If you are allergic to all nuts then I have tried this with pumpkin seeds with great success as well! Good luck 🙂
Nancy Buchanan says
Awww... thanks for including a link to my potatoes!!! This post came at just the right time - my oregano plants are going gangbusters so this pesto is right up my alley - brilliant!!!!
Donna1 says
Oregano just goes crazy doesn't it! I am always looking for ways to use up the extras, and these potatoes were delish!
Janelle says
Do you use the raw whole brown almonds or the white peeled variety like slivered or flaked
Many thanks
Donna1 says
Hey Janelle, I use the whole raw almond in this, but the slivered variety would work just as well if that's what you have on hand.
Sophia Walker says
Works amazing with my favourite pasta recipe: wholegrain penne cooked al denté, tossed in pesto and topped with raw red bell pepper, smoked salmon and feta cheese.
Donna1 says
Ooh yum, that sounds divine!! I haven't had smoked salmon in such a long time, will have to rectify that 🙂
Lisa says
So the thing about oregano is that it is a really powerful flavor when it's fresh... sometimes too much. But in a pesto, the flavor is supposed to be bold. I can picture this on grilled chicken, fish and even a good steak. Lovely photos!
Donna1 says
Oh yes, it is a bold pesto, but a little goes a LONG way. I have been pairing this one with grilled chicken and topping with some feta and it works SO well!