Basil Pesto

One of the most versatile and loved sauces out there is, without saying, Basil Pesto. Very easy to make and one that goes well with so many recipes, pesto is ready in 10 minutes and only needs 5 ingredients! There’s nothing keeping you down from making this fresh, cheesy, nutty and most importantly DELICIOUS pesto. Check out some tips and tricks below for a perfect pesto.

Tips and tricks for the best Basil Pesto:

-Wash your basil with cold water, then dry it with paper towels or using a salad spinner.

-Pine nuts can be a bit pricey, so you can replace them with walnuts or almonds if you’d like.

-Pick an olive oil whose taste you like on its own, because pesto is a sauce that requires a large amount of oil and it will impact the final taste.

-Before adding all the ingredients to the food processor, chop the nuts and the basil a bit with a knife. This will prevent the nuts from releasing too much oil, so your pesto won’t have a heavy taste.

-If you’re not a fan of Parmesan (Although, who isn’t?!), you can replace it with other hard cheese you’d like, like Pecorino. Another important tip regarding the cheese is to add it grated after processing the other ingredients in the food processor, mixing it in with a spatula, instead of pulsing it in with the basil and nuts. This will help your pesto keep a chunky texture, instead of becoming a paste.

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Basil Pesto

One of the most loved sauces, Basil Pesto is fresh, nutty and cheesy and goes well with almost anything: on pasta, in sandwhiches or as a final touch to a nice steak. Check out this recipe, it's ready in less than 10 minutes and only requires 5 ingredients.

Prep Time10 mins

Total Time10 mins

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Basil, Pesto

Yield: 1 small jar

Ingredients:

• 3 cups basil (60 grams)
• 50 g parmesan finely grated
• 30 g pine nuts
• 80 ml olive oil (⅓ cup)
• 1 garlic clove
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Pre-heat the oven at 180°C and lightly toast the pine nuts for about 7-8 minutes or until slightly golden.
• Wash the basil and dry the excess water with paper towels or using a salad spinner.
• Roughly chop the basil and the pine nuts with a knife, than place them in a food processor. Add the garlic clove and pulse a few times, adding the oil one bit at a time. Remember, pesto must be a bit chunky, so don't turn everything into a paste!
• Add the parmesan, salt and pepper according to taste and mix everything with a spatula.
• The pesto keeps well in the fridge for about 5 days. You can also freeze it in cubes in an ice tray and defrost the needed quantity.