Basil Pesto Recipe
Make classic basil pesto at home in only 10 minutes! It's nutty, cheesy and delicious. Use it on pasta, salmon, chicken, caprese salad, pizza and so much more.
Servings: 4 (about a quarter cup per person)
Equipment
- 1 Food processor
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup pine nuts *toast if desired *see note below
- 1 large (or 2-3 small) whole garlic cloves *peeled
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil *divided *see note below
- 2 cups basil leaves *loosely packed *2-3 ounces
- ½ teaspoon salt *plus more to taste
- Juice from ½ small lemon *can omit if desired
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese *can omit for vegan (or sub nutritional yeast)
Recipe notes:
Pine nuts: Lightly toast pine nuts for rich, nutty flavor or leave them raw for a light and fresh pesto. Olive oil: For a smoother pesto, you can add extra olive oil!Instructions
- If you choose to toast nuts, place them in a skillet over medium heat and stir constantly for about 5 minutes until golden. They burn easily so be careful!
- Add pine nuts, whole peeled garlic cloves and half of your olive oil to a food processor. Puree 20-30 seconds.
- Next add lemon juice, salt, remaining oil and basil leaves along with any young, tender stems. Don't include stems that are large and tough.
- Puree until everything is well incorporated. The mixture doesn't have to be completely smooth. Don't over-blend or it can become gummy.
- Add grated parmesan cheese and pulse the food processor a couple more times to mix. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4th of recipe (all values approximate). This recipe makes about 1 cup of pesto.