“This ‘faux’ truffle pesto is delicious over a juicy rib-eye steak, as pictured. However the steak is not included in the macros as you may want to stir this pesto through courgette or konjac noodles instead. Truffle-infused oil is used for that all-important truffle kick. Since truffle can be a powerful flavour, this batch is suitable for 4 people (at 60g / 2.1oz per serving). Its simply perfect for mushroom lovers and those foodies that have knowledge of the fifth “taste”: umami.” – Monya
Fats of Life® is a keto and low carb recipe blog that I love to run as a hobby in my spare time. I am also the author of the best-selling Keto Kitchen Series of cookbooks. This includes my debut best-seller Keto Kitchen (2020). The fun and exciting Lazy Keto Kitchen (2021). And, the clever and inspiring Budget Keto Kitchen (2022). My 4th cookbook, Quick Keto Kitchen (2023) is as fantastic as the first three, and packed with spectacular, easy creations!
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More on Faux Truffle Pesto…
Adhering to a ketogenic diet while on a budget doesn’t mean sacrificing flavour and luxury. With a little creativity and resourcefulness, you can create things using readily available ingredients. This budget-friendly alternative to truffle pesto will satisfy your cravings for an indulgent, keto-friendly meal.
FOLLOW MONYA:
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To begin, mushrooms serve as an excellent base for our faux truffle pesto. They offer a meaty texture and a unique earthy flavour that mimics the essence of truffles. Choose any variety of mushrooms that suits your taste and budget.
Next, dried olives will add depth and tanginess to the pesto. These olives provide a concentrated burst of flavour that complements the earthiness of the mushrooms.
Lastly, truffle oil acts as the star ingredient, infusing the pesto with its distinctive aroma and taste. While truffle oil can be expensive, a little goes a long way.
It is important to note that to maintain ketosis, it’s essential to track carbohydrate intake and ensure it aligns with your daily macro goals. Consulting with a healthcare professional is advised before making significant dietary changes. Scroll to the bottom to see the full macros and allergens for this Faux Truffle Pesto, as well as all the Sauces & Condiments on Fats of Life®.
Faux Truffle Pesto
Per serving
Ingredients
- 40 g pitted black olives, thinly sliced
- 10 g unsalted butter
- 220 g mushrooms, chopped very small
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 TB Parmesan, finely grated
- 5 TB truffle-infused olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 120°C (fan-assisted oven) and line a small baking tray with parchment paper.
- Drain the olives very well on a sheet of kitchen paper, then slice each one very thinly. Spread them out on the tray and leave in this moderately low oven for 25-30 minutes to dry out.
- In the meantime, melt the butter in a large non-stick pan or wok and add the finely chopped mushrooms and garlic, cooking over high heat until the mixture is completely free from moisture (the mushrooms will eventually release their own moisture, so this needs to be cooked out in order for the mushrooms to start caramelising).
- Stir continuously to avoid the garlic burning. The mixture will be ready once the mushrooms are golden and free from moisture. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool a little while you wait for the olives to finish their time in the oven.
- Transfer the cooked mushrooms and dried olive slices into a mini food processor. Add the finely grated Parmesan and blitz the mixture well. Its good practice to stop and scrape down the sides to ensure even blitzing. Add two tablespoons of the truffle-infused olive oil and blitz one last time.
- Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir through the remaining truffle-infused olive oil. Season the pesto generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve at room temperature over steaks or stirred through courgetti noodles or konjac (shirataki) noodles! If you decide to make this ahead of time, you can keep it stored, covered, in the fridge. However, it should come back to room temperature again before serving, or you can simply keep it in a very low oven to gently reheat.
My name is Monya Kilian Palmer. If you loved this recipe, please follow and tag me @mkilianpalmer on Instagram so we can all see your lovely creations!
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The links above will take you to Amazon UK. For USA and other countries, see the global Amazon links here: Keto Kitchen ; Lazy Keto Kitchen ; Budget Keto Kitchen ; Quick Keto Kitchen.
Nutritional Information per serving (60g / 2.1oz)Calories 190Kcal / 795kJ
Fat 20g
Carbohydrates 2.3g
Protein 2.5g
Allergens
Milk
Sesame (may be found in truffle-infused oil - check labels)
Tree nuts (may be found in truffle-infused oil - check labels)
See all the Sauces & Condiments on Fats of Life:
Disclaimer: The nutritional analysis, macro and allergen breakdown of the recipes on this site have been manually and carefully calculated using the cloud-based software NUTRITICS®. NUTRITICS® is fully approved by the relevant Trading Standards organizations and is EU and FDA-compliant. The macro calculations are provided as a courtesy to you based on the author's weighing of ingredients when creating the dishes. If Erythritol (a sugar polyol) has been used in any of the recipes, it has already been manually excluded from the final carbohydrate count. The author is a chef - not a medical professional - and this website has been designed to provide you with recipe ideas to suit the low carb lifestyle you have discussed with your GP.
3 Comments
My husband and I hate the taste of truffle oil. Can you suggest an alternative? Perhaps extra virgin olive oil?
By the way, I love your website and your cookbook! We think your Bacon and Mushroom Pizza is the absolute BEST tasting and textured low carb pizza ever. In fact, we have loved every recipe we’ve tried from your cookbook.
I cannot wait until your new cookbook is published.
Thank you so much.
Hi Carole!
Thanks for the kind words! I am thrilled you love KETO KITCHEN, and I hope you will love LAZY KETO KITCHEN just the same!
This wouldn’t be truffle pesto without the truffle oil, so if you decide to only use olive oil, you will simply be left with a mushroom pesto. In that case, I think you may want to add a ‘bigger’ flavour by possibly increasing the amount of Parmesan to give it some more kick?
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Drop me a line if you have any questions or comments about this recipe. I will do my best to reply as soon as possible! Monya xxx