Would you like to try some tasty low FODMAP pesto?
When I found out I was suffering from IBS, one of the food that was really hard to give up, was my beloved pesto sauce. Being Italian I grew up eating homemade pesto sauce all the time. I used it as a fresh and summery sauce for pasta, but also as a dip for raw vegetables and crackers, as a spread on bread and as a marinade for fish dishes. I love the smell, the consistency and of course the taste. Unfortunately traditional pesto is out of bound, for IBS sufferers, as it contains garlic and quite a bit of it.
Although it is possible to find pesto without garlic, in my opinion it is a bit bland, lacking of that garlicky flavour. So what is the alternative? Fortunately it is still possible to make a real pesto sauce with garlic infused oil, which is low in FODMAPs. You can make your own garlic infused oil or you can buy it from most stores.
In Australia I buy my garlic infused oil from Cobram Estate and it is really delicious.
This simple, but tasty Garden Pesto recipe is courtesy of Dr. Barbara Bolen and Kathleen Bradley the authors of The Everything® Guide to the Low-FODMAP Diet, a must have book for those following the low FODMAP diet, with 150 recipes to ease painful symptoms and improve digestion.
GARDEN PESTO
Makes 1/3 cup
Most pestos rely on garlic as a main ingredient. This recipe captures its flavor, but saves your tummy the trouble of trying to digest it.
Low FODMAP Pesto
2 tablespoons Garlic-Infused Oil
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 cup packed basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend to a pesto consistency.
Enjoy it!
Source: The Everything® Guide to the Low-FODMAP Diet
Always check labels on all packaged goods used in the context of any low-FODMAP recipe prior to recipe preparation or consumption to be sure they do not contain high-FODMAP ingredients.
I make my own pesto so Iam glad we can have it. I have ibs-d and as you all know it is not fun. I started the fodmap diet a week ago so I do hope it works.
Hi Sherry,
Thank you for your comment. I hope the low FODMAP diet will relieve your IBS symptoms. Please let me know if I can help at all. Take good care.
Two of my fav foods are pesto and hummus, and I was sad they weren’t agreeing with my stomach! I tried a few other recipes for low FODMAP pesto, but they still kicked my stomach. Not only is this one delicious but it hasn’t bothered my stomach once, and I’ve made it 3 times now. Thanks so much! Still haven’t found a hummus recipe that doesn’t make me feel awful, but I will find one eventually.
Hi Vicki, thanks for your comment. I also love pesto, hummus and avocado. Unfortunately hummus and avocado are high fodmap food, I can have a small quantity from time to time and that’s it. Pesto sauce prepared according to Dr. Barbara Bolen’s recipe on this blog post is low FODMAP, as it contains no real garlic, only garlic infused oil. I am happy that it agrees with you too. Regarding hummus, have you tried making it from canned chickpeas that have been drained and rinsed a few times? Kate Scarlata has made a low FODMAP version, that you can find here. All the best.
This pesto recipe is delicious even without the garlic 🙂
Hi, I always make pesto without garlic it is not the usual tradition, but it is still delicious!
I have never tried pesto sauce but this sound very good. I am not much of a cooker myself, but this recipe sounds super easy and fast in a pinch. I might try to make some this weekend when my sister comes to visit. She is big in to food so I know she will appreciate it AND my stomach will too! haha
Green pesto is so good. Use it on pasta, or as a topping on low FODMAP bread, yum! The book ‘The Everything Guide To The Low FODMAP Diet’ is full of fantastic recipes.