For the third edition of Can It Pesto?, I decided to abandon leafy greens as the main ingredient and lean into something a little unexpected. Inspired by the bold, briny flavors of a dirty martini, this pesto swaps the usual greens and parmesan for olives, blue cheese, and a splash of martini energy — and somehow, it works.
You might think the olives push this into tapenade territory, but the addition of walnuts and creamy blue cheese gives it a richness and texture that still reads unmistakably pesto. Here’s how I made it:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups green olives, drained
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1/3 cup blue cheese
- 10 basil leaves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive juice
- 1/2 cup olive oil (I always use this brand)
Directions
- Combine the olives, walnuts, blue cheese, basil, and olive juice in a food processor.
- With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil through the feed tube until smooth.
- Enjoy as a spread or sauce.
I originally planned to use this dirty martini pesto with pasta, but at the last minute I decided to try it on a burger instead. Trust me when I tell you — this was a great idea. Spread underneath the patty, the pesto added a briny, savory flavor that elevated the entire burger. It reminded me a little of a Midwestern olive burger, but with an extra layer of richness from the blue cheese. It was honestly one of the best burgers I’ve had in years.
I plan to keep experimenting with new ways to use this pesto next week, so stay tuned.
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