Oregano Pesto

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This is one of the easiest oregano pesto recipes you will find! A few ingredients and a run through the food processor and you’ve got yourself a flavorful Oregano Pesto! This sauce is delicious and has so many great uses, you’ll find yourself eating it all the time.

Fresh Oregano Pesto

Pesto is a fabulous condiment that can really elevate a dish. As we all know, basil is the most common type of pesto out there. Pesto is not just for basil though. It can be made with other things too. My Roasted Red Pepper Pesto is another good example of this.

Since pesto can be made with things other than basil, why not oregano? Fresh oregano has a strong flavor all by itself, but that is tempered by the other ingredients in the pesto. This flavor is not bad (strong does not always mean bad when it comes to flavor) just strong. 

Oregano is a versatile herb that is most often used dried. I don’t think fresh oregano gets enough attention. With this recipe, it will get its day in the sun!

This pesto has tons of flavor, and is made much like the traditional basil pesto you are used to.

What You Will Love About This Recipe

If you have a garden and you grow oregano, this recipe is going to be your saving grace. Oregano has a tendency to go crazy (mine certainly does) and there is always the question of what to do with it all besides drying it. This recipe is your answer!

Also, if you happen to grow herbs indoors (or want to), you can grow oregano inside your house. This means you can have fresh oregano year round to make this pesto! 

Types Of Oregano

There are several varieties of Oregano available. Greek Oregano (also known as Italian Oregano) is by far the most common and it is what you will find in the grocery store and growing in your garden (unless you grow another type). 

Greek Oregano is what you find in pizzas, pastas, and sauces. This recipe calls for Greek oregano.

I am going to touch on other varieties even though they are not called for in this recipe, because if you run across other varieties at least you will know a little something about them.

Other Oregano Varieties

Golden Oregano- As the name implies, this variety has yellow colored leaves.

Marjoram- Yes, Marjoram is a type of Oregano! It is milder in flavor and a bit less spicy, so if you want a more toned down flavor, you can try substituting an equal amount of Marjoram for the Oregano.

Syrian Oregano- This variety is most often seen in the Middle Eastern spice blend known as Za’atar.

Other varieties you may have heard of such as Mexican Oregano or Cuban Oregano, but they are not true Oregano because they are not of the same family. Their uses in cooking are very similar, however. 

Ingredients For Oregano Pesto

The ingredient list for this pesto is short and sweet! You will need:

• Fresh Oregano
• Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Walnuts (be sure they are unsalted)
• Parmesan Cheese

Why walnuts and not pine nuts? I love pine nuts, but they are expensive! Walnuts are much more budget friendly (and often easier to find).

Equipment Needed For Oregano Pesto

All you really need for this recipe is a food processor, as it does all the work for you. I don’t recommend a stick blender, it just doesn’t have the power you need to pulverize the ingredients properly. 

How To Make Oregano Pesto

This could not be any easier!! Just put your ingredients in the food processor, turn it on, and once everything is well blended you are good to go! 

Do not put the oregano stems in the pesto, just use the oregano leaves. The stems can be a bit stringy and won’t make for a good texture in the finished pesto. 

The leaves are fairly easy to remove from the stems. Hold the very top of the stem with one hand, and with the other hand, pinch the top of the stem underneath your other hand with your thumb and forefinger. Slide your thumb and forefinger down the length of the stem. The leaves should pop right off. If that doesn’t work for you, they can be pulled off the stem one by one.

I have more instructions in the recipe card below to help you with pesto success!

Frequently Asked Questions

What To Do With Oregano Pesto

This vibrant pesto is great on pasta! If it’s Summertime, try it on my Garlic Scape Ravioli. It is also wonderful as sauce for pizza (that is actually my favorite use for oregano pesto). 

You can also try it as the base for my Vegetable Flatbread with Creme Fraiche.

Try it in pasta salad, or throw a couple of spoonfuls in a cream sauce to add lots of great flavor. Mix it in with mayonnaise to add zest to a sandwich!

This also makes a great marinade for chicken or pork, or a sauce for salmon. 

If you want to use it as a pasta sauce, save a ladle full or two of your pasta cooking water and add that to your pasta and pesto. This is very helpful to help distribute the pesto over all your pasta.

Storing Oregano Pesto

This can be kept in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container for up to a week. If it seems thick when you pull it out of refrigeration, let it sit on the counter for a little bit to get to room temp and give it a stir. If it’s still stiff, add just a little oil and give it another stir. 

You can freeze your pesto too! Try freezing it in ice cube trays (this is great if you know you are only using a little at a time) or putting the whole batch in a freezer friendly container and freeze until you need it. If you freeze it, use within two months. 

To defrost your pesto: 

I like to defrost in the refrigerator. If you use the defrost setting of your microwave, that will end up cooking the pesto.

The best thing to do is pull it out of the freezer the day before you need it and it should be ready when you need it.

If you are reading this, thank you for being here. I certainly hope you love this recipe for Oregano Pesto! If you tried this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Just leave a rating or comment below. 

If you’d like to share this recipe with friends, make it and take a picture and tag me @thecoppertable in a post on Instagram. You can also pin to a board on Pinterest or share on Facebook, Twitter, or anywhere else you like! 

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