📍 Where this dish comes from: Rhine Valley · Rhine Gorge (UNESCO)
Discover the history of this region →
Discover the history of this region →
Pumpkin seeds — Kürbiskerne — are grown extensively in Styria and southern Germany, where the cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil is as prized as good olive oil. This pesto uses toasted pumpkin seeds in place of pine nuts to create something earthier, nuttier, and more robustly flavoured than the Italian original. It is extraordinary on keto pasta, spread on dark bread, stirred into soups, or used as a dip.
What You’ll Need
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 195kcal
Ingredients
- 120 g pumpkin seeds lightly toasted
- 60 g fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 cloves garlic
- 60 g Parmesan finely grated
- 80 ml good olive oil or pumpkin seed oil
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of cayenne
Instructions
- Toast pumpkin seeds in a dry pan 3–4 min until they pop and smell nutty. Cool.
- Pulse seeds in a food processor to coarse crumbs.
- Add parsley, garlic, and Parmesan. Pulse 5 times.
- With motor running, drizzle in oil until pesto comes together.
- Add lemon juice, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Taste and adjust.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 195kcal | Protein: 7g | Fat: 18g | Fiber: 1g
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Health Benefits
- Pumpkin seeds are an excellent plant-based source of zinc, important for immune function.
- Parsley is rich in vitamin K1 and apigenin, a flavonoid studied for its antioxidant properties.
- Pumpkin seed oil contains beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol studied for its potential role in cholesterol levels.