Fresh Basil Pesto With Variations
photo by Tinkerbell
- Ready In:
- 10mins
- Ingredients:
- 7
- Yields:
-
1 cup
- Serves:
- 12
ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1⁄3 cup pine nuts
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt (I use finely ground sea salt or kosher)
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
directions
- Fit your food processor with the steel blade attachment. To bowl add basil, garlic, oil, pine nuts, salt and pepper. Pulse several times, scraping bowl if needed, and continue until the mixture is a smooth paste. Add a tiny bit of oil if mixture gets too thick.
- When the consistency is right, transfer to a small bowl and fold in the shredded parmesan cheese.
- To Serve: Stir a few tablespoons of pesto with a splash of cooking water from your favorite pasta and toss with hot pasta until coated. Use as a condiment on grilled panini sandwiches, on toast points for an appetizer, as a pizza sauce, or garnish your fresh soup with a few teaspoons.
- To Store: Cover with a thin layer of olive oil or spray with non-stick cooking oil and keep in the fridge for several weeks. For long-term storage fill ice cube trays with pesto, freeze and then pop out into a resealable plastic bag. Thaw just the right amount of fresh pesto for your meal any time you want it!
- *NOTE: Other aromatic herbs, nuts, oils or hard cheeses can be used in place of or in combination with the basil, pine nuts, extra virgin olive oil and parmesan. Keep in mind the herb is the star of the show and should have the most prominent flavor when mixing and matching ingredients. Also, consider the rest of your meal and what fresh flavors might compliment it best. Have fun experimenting with some of the following!
- Herbs: fresh cilantro, spinach, oregano, sun-dried tomatoes; Italian flat leaf parsley can be used by itself but is also great to use with any of the other herbs when you may be running short on them.
- Nuts: Walnuts, almonds, pecans.
- Flavored Oils: porcini mushroom, walnut, lemon, rosemary, raspberry.
- Cheeses: parmigiano-reggiano, asiago, romano.
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Reviews
-
This is exactly the recipe I have been searching for. I have tons of basil this spring and I want to try some variations. Just tried the recipe as written except I substituted pecans for the nuts. YUM! We always have a supply of pecans so most likely will use them every time. Thanks so much for posting this recipe!
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I just made the original version and it was perfect! I used it to make Recipe #23425 and tossed the remainder with some pasta for an effortless and delicious meal that's on the table in no time. I'm looking forward to making some other variations in the future. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe with us.
Tweaks
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This is exactly the recipe I have been searching for. I have tons of basil this spring and I want to try some variations. Just tried the recipe as written except I substituted pecans for the nuts. YUM! We always have a supply of pecans so most likely will use them every time. Thanks so much for posting this recipe!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Tinkerbell
Boise, 51
Hi! I am happily married with two children, 26 and 12. For nearly 10 years when this site was Recipezaar and then Food.com I hosted several different forums. I enjoyed making, creating, reviewing, and photographing recipes, but what I miss the most are the friendships I made here. I was Food Editor for the Mill Creek View Newspaper in Mill Creek, WA. for about 4 years during that time. Currently I am the office manager at a small mental health clinic. I'm not on this site much anymore, but I do continue to appreciate and respond to all reviews posted to my recipes.