Pine nuts, believe it or not, actually come from pine trees! They’re actually the seed of some trees in the pine family – and of course, they’re edible, and great food!
Not all pine trees make edible seeds – only 29 species of pine do, and only 20 of them are actually traded in. The other trees that make edible nuts make nuts that are just too small to be a real source of food for us!
Pine nuts often make fantastic additions to any dish that you’re cooking. We’ve compiled a list of some of the best recipes that use pine nuts – so if you’re looking for great uses for them, this article is perfect for you! Read on to discover the 20 best recipes that use pine nuts!
1. “Antipasto” Pasta With Sausage, Artichoke Hearts, And Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Quick and easy to make, this is a fantastic and simple traditional-style pasta dish that tastes amazing! Toasted pine nuts add a delicious flavor to a meal that’s already absolutely bursting with flavor. Using great tomatoes, and great sausage here is the key. This recipe will make 4 great-tasting servings!
2. Tagliatelle With Green Beans And Pesto
A delicious homemade pesto is a perfect use for pine nuts! Use a nice amount of Parmesan cheese, unless you want to opt for a vegan or vegetarian cheese alternative.
Plenty of pine nuts and fresh basil are a must – after all, what would pesto be without pine nuts and basil? Green beans and potatoes fill out the dish, alongside the tagliatelle.
3. How To Toast Pine Nuts
Of course, with all these fantastic recipes, it’s important not to forget about the basics!
If you’re unsure how to toast your pine nuts in the best way, or are looking for a few hints to get the most out of roasting them, then check out this link – it’ll tell you all you need to know about toasting pine nuts!
4. Wood-Fired Pork Collar And Crackling With Sage And Pine Nut Crumb
Beautiful wood-fired pork with a rich herb-filled sauce laced with pork trimmings is the centerpiece of this dish. Use plenty of cloves for the pork brine and a lot of salt for the correct strength!
A lovely sage and pine nut crumb top the dish off – panko bread crumbs forming the base for this fantastic pine nut recipe. A fantastically rich and delicious meal.
5. Yogurt With Fresh Figs, Honey, And Pine Nuts
Simple and easy to make, this lovely yogurt-based snack is sweet and rich. Drizzled with honey, the figs are absolutely sumptuous! Pine nuts add their delicious flavor too, making for an absolutely delicious topping to this dish. Toast them until they’re golden brown for the absolute best flavor!
6. Culantro Pesto
Pesto is absolutely fantastic, but maybe you want to try a non-basil pesto? For a great alternative to basil, make this great pesto that doesn’t use any. Instead, it uses fresh cilantro leaves in its place!
Of course, pine nuts make an appearance here too – after all, you can’t change everything about pesto! Use either Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese according to your preference here.
7. Chickpea Crêpe “Tacos” With Eggplant And Lamb
Instead of tortillas, this recipe uses chickpea flour pancakes. They’re a great alternative to tortillas, and they’re gluten-free too! You’ll need to allow 2 days for the batter to properly settle in the fridge, so plan ahead.
You can store any pancakes you make for up to 3 days, though – and they’ll still be absolutely great to eat with this recipe! You can even make them ahead of time, and freeze them for up to a month!
Cumin adds a rich layer to the flavor, and of course, pine nuts are a great addition to this meal. Enjoy!
8. How To Make Dukkah
Dukkah is a blend of seeds and nuts that originally comes from Egypt. You might not be aware of it – the author of this recipe wasn’t until she went to culinary school! However, it’s a delicious topping for lots of dishes, and it’s easy to make. Traditionally it uses hazelnuts, but you can use any nuts you like – including pine nuts, of course!
9. Shredded Brussels Sprout And Ricotta Toast
Not everybody loves Brussels sprouts – for some, they’re just too much to bear! However, if you’re a fan of them, then you’ll find that this recipe puts them to great use! Use your favorite great-tasting bread for this one – the recipe recommends baguette or rustic bread, but a good quality sourdough might be a great idea too!
10. Cauliflower Shawarma With Pomegranate, Tahini, And Pine Nuts
A delicious Middle Eastern-inspired dish, this is an absolutely fantastic way to use cauliflower! It’s absolutely packed with spices too – using cumin, cinnamon, cilantro, allspice, cardamom, and nutmeg! This dish also makes great use of pomegranate molasses and toasted pine nuts and is finished off with a flourish of sprinkled rose petals.
11. The Best Ligurian Pesto
Ligurian pesto is famed for its flavor and bright green color. It’s still made by hand using a mortar and pestle!
To be accurate, you’ll need to use basil, Genovese. This fantastic recipe will show you how to make your own delicious Ligurian pesto – and of course, for best results, you’ll have to break out your own mortar and pestle. Blenders can be a little too violent for the delicate basil leaves!
You can make this to store too – simply top the pesto with a thin layer of olive oil to act as an air barrier, and keep it in the refrigerator!
12. Grilled Red Mullet With Charred Onions And Pine Nuts
Full of flavor, this delicious red mullet dish makes great use of pine nuts to add the finishing touches to an already fantastic meal! Of note is the interesting use of capers and raisins!
This is quite a large recipe – enough for 8 servings! So, of course, if you don’t need to make as much, adjust your quantities accordingly.
13. Broccoli Strascinati With Raisins And Nuts
Definitely one of the more decadent ways one can enjoy broccoli, this fantastic recipe is sweet and rich – with sugar that caramelizes the broccoli, this is definitely for those with a little bit of a sweet tooth, even where vegetables are concerned! Raisins and pine nuts top this off, and you can even use some almonds too.
14. Couscous With Golden Raisins, Pine Nuts, And Green Onions
If you like couscous, you’ll love this novel recipe! It uses raisins, pine nuts, and green onions, to give the dish a unique yet delicious flavor. Absolutely lovely, and definitely worth cooking some up!
15. Roasted Broccoli With Lemon And Pine Nuts
This recipe combines the fresh yet rich taste of beautifully roasted broccoli, with the unmistakable tang of fresh lemon juice. Both hearty and zesty, this is a great dish that is only enhanced by the use of great quality pine nuts.
16. Quinoa With Toasted Pine Nuts
Quinoa has become extremely popular over the past few years – and what better way to make it even better than to mix in some pine nuts? This makes for an absolutely fantastic dish that you’ll be sure to love – and the parsley, chives, and shallots all stand out with their own strong characters too!
17. Green Beans With Pine Nuts
Less of a meal itself, and more of a side dish or snack, this is still an absolutely great way to make use of just a few simple ingredients! And, it goes well as a compliment to so many other dishes. This is a great idea to try, and won’t take you very long at all! Such a great idea!
18. Broccoli Pesto Pasta With Green Olives
Proving that you can make a great pesto with just about anything green, this recipe doesn’t forgo the basil, but instead uses broccoli to add to the flavor! It’s a great idea, and of course, makes use of toasted pine nuts!
19. Summer Squash Salad With Lemon Citronette
This is a lovely, fresh-tasting salad! It uses simple ingredients – zucchini, feta cheese, and pine nuts! And of course, the fantastic citronette that covers it all with an absolutely lovely zesty lemon flavor. Simple to make, and perfect for a hot summer’s day!
20. Pine Nut Ice Cream
This pine nut ice cream is a fantastic tasting idea – and proves that you can do more than just main courses and pestos with pine nuts! Pine nuts are a great alternative to pistachios when it comes to ice cream – so give this great and novel recipe a try!
There you have it – the best 20 pine nut recipes from all across the internet!
Pine nuts are clearly a versatile food, and can be used in many different recipes and culinary ideas. From desserts to main courses, you’ll be able to make great use of pine nuts no matter what sort of food you’re cooking!
Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed reading this list, and now have some fantastic ideas for using pine nuts in your own cooking at home!
