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basil pesto
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Basil Pesto Recipe

Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Servings: 0.5 cup
Author: Aleksandra

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (45g) basil leaves (packed) 2 small pots of basil or 1 very large (like on the photo)
  • 1/2 cup (45g) Parmesan cheese
  • 1 very small clove garlic
  • 1 tablespoon (10g) pine nuts or almonds
  • big pinch of lemon zest optional
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a food processor:

  • Wash the basil leaves in cold water and pat them dry.
  • Add all the ingredients, except the olive oil, to a food processor bowl. Pulse until thick paste forms.
  • Add the olive oil and pulse slowly at the low speed or whisk in the olive oil by hand, until thick sauce forms.
  • Note: The olive oil can also be mixed directly with the other ingredients in the food processor at high speed, but the pesto comes out just slightly bitter in my opinion.
  • Season to taste with salt, you can also add more olive oil if you want thinner consistency of your pesto.

Using a pestle and mortar:

  • Wash the basil leaves in cold water and pat them dry.
  • In a mortar, pound pine nuts, garlic, and salt into a paste.
  • Add the basil leaves and lemon zest (if using), pound until only small pieces of leaves remain.
  • Add the grated cheese, pound to a thick paste.
  • Add the olive oil and pound until thick sauce forms. Season to taste with salt and pepper, you can also add more olive oil if you want thinner consistency of your pesto.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

  • Instead of just parmesan cheese, you can use 2/3 of parmesan and 1/3 of pecorino cheese (the total amount is 1/2 cup).
  • Storage: pesto will keep up in the fridge for up to 3 days (stored in a tightly closed container or tightly covered with plastic foil). If you want to keep it longer, pour a small layer of olive oil on top of the pesto. This way you can keep it in the fridge for up to a week.
  • Freezing: pesto freezes very well. Put it in a tightly closed container or plastic bag and freeze for up to 6 months.
  • BASIC PESTO RECIPE:
    1. greens / vegetables: basil, parsley, spinach, radish leaves, carrot leaves, celery leaves, arugula/rocket, kale, wild garlic/ramp leaves, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes (Pesto alla Trepanese), bell peppers
    2. cheese: parmesan, pecorino, or other hard cheese, or even creamy ricotta (Pesto alla Calabrese)
    3. oil: extra virgin olive oil, or other delicious and healthy extra virgin vegetable oils, for example: linseed oil, walnut oil, avocado oil, pumpkin seed oil, you can also mix them together
    4. nuts: you can really use all nuts and seeds, the best are pine nuts, almonds, walnuts and pistachios, pumpkin seeds
    5. seasonings: fresh garlic, salt, black pepper, chili, lemon zest (really good!)
  • Calories = whole recipe. This is only an estimate!

Nutrition

Calories: 587kcal