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Pesto is a favorite of mine, not to mention, easy breezy. And it’s green, so it has to be sorta, kinda healthy, right? Please don’t let me know if it’s really bad for you, I’d just rather not know.
When paired with bruschetta (garlic toast for you fellow rednecks) or pasta, pesto is favoloso! (That would be fabulous in Italian. No, I don’t speak Italian, I cheated and looked it up.) And when fresh basil is available, pesto is the way to go.
(This is one of those herbs that’s worth the effort to grow your own. A small pack of basil around here runs $2-4.00 for just a little bit, while you can get a pack of seeds for a dollar or two. It’s super easy to grow. I wouldn’t tell you a fib either – try it.)
Here’s what you’ll need…
basil, of course,
garlic cloves,
pine nuts,
extra virgin olive oil,
parmesan cheese,
and salt and pepper to taste. (I have substituted walnuts for the pine nuts before and have made the pesto with out any nuts at all – that’s good too.)
I begin by chopping the garlic and pine nuts first in a food processor. Pulse a few times. (I don’t think the order of chopping matters I just like to make sure the garlic and pine nuts are finely chopped by the end, so I start with them.)
Add the basil and pulse a few more times.
Next, slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is running. (That itty bitty hole in the circular thingy in the lid of the processor is great for this, except it could be a little bigger.)
Scrape down the sides of the processor and add the grated cheese, pulse again to blend.
Salt and pepper to taste.There, that was easy, huh?
Again this is a basic pesto recipe. If you don’t have exact amounts of each ingredient it should still work well just make sure it’s not too oily. After you make it a few times, it’ll be something that you just “eyeball” for correct proportions. I promise. It’s that easy.
Enjoy!
*And try this in yummy Creamy Pesto Pasta.*
Ingredients
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop garlic and pine nuts in food processor. Pulse a few times.
- Add the basil and pulse a few more times.
- Add the olive oil slowly while the food processor is running.
- Scrape down the sides of the processor, add the grated cheese, pulse again to blend. (A lot of pulsing, I know.)
- Salt and pepper to taste.
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You know, I’ve never made pesto before… how can that be?
I have made a version with cilatro and macadamia nuts instead. Although it might not be pesto without the basil.
I love pesto! Yum. Also, your photos are just incredible. Love the garlic.
Pesto is such a great all around sauce! You can do so much with it. Your photos are just gorgeous! Every one of them looks so professional!
Great recipe! I used it to make Pesto Pinwheels (puff pastry w pesto & parmesan) and they turned out great. Thanks!
Actually, what is missing is Pecorino Romano grated cheese (the original Italian cheese, not an imitation).
Being salty, one puts usually 2/3 of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (again, the original Italian cheese, not an adventurous Argentinian fake…) and 1/3 of grated Pecorino Romano.
Also, I have never seen pesto with pepper. It has no business whatsoever in there.
[...] It calls for a basic basil pesto. Well how ’bout that? Here’s one right here… basic basil pesto recipe. In addition to the pesto, you’ll need extra virgin olive oil, heavy cream and a pasta of [...]
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I went to the store the other day to get some pine nuts, and found them to be a “bit” too far out of my price range. Anything else you would suggest, or do I even need to use nuts?
Hey Zach!
I’ve used walnuts before. I’ve also made it without any nuts at all. You’ll need to watch for consistency — maybe not add as much olive oil. It’s a little different from the original, but still quite tasty!
Thanks for the feedback. I just want to make sure, but it should be like a paste when it’s done then, right? I’m wanting to make sure I do this right since it sounds so yummy.
Yes, it should be like a wet paste or hummus consistency.
Looks yummy!!!
How long will the pesto last in the fridge for?
TIA