Pesto
User Reviews
4.9
120 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
10 mins
-
Total Time
10 mins
-
Servings
1 cup
-
Course
Main Course, Condiments
-
Cuisine
Italian-American Fussion
Pesto
Report
Recipe video above. This is how I make basil pesto. Make it smooth for the best flavour when tossed through pasta, or chunkier if you want to use it as a dip. See in post for a list of chunky vs smooth and a list of uses! Also see how to use pesto to make a JUICY Pesto Pasta (hint: it's not just pasta and pesto).
Share:
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 cups / 60g / 2oz fresh basil leaves (tightly pack measuring cup, Note 1)
- 1/2 cup (50 g) parmesan, finely grated (tightly pack the cup)
- 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 garlic clove , small
- 7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil , best quality
Instructions
- Toast pine nuts - Preheat small skillet over medium high heat (no oil). Add pine nuts and toast until light brown. Immediately remove and let cool slightly.
- Blitz pesto - Place all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor or blender. Blitz until finely chopped.
- Add oil while blitzing - With the motor running, slowly pour the oil in through the feeder tube. Blitz until smooth (or to desired consistency), adding a touch of extra oil (or water) if required to help it blitz.
- Handheld blender stick - Place all ingredients (including oil) in a bowl. Blitz with hand held blender until smooth.
Storage and Use:
- Store in a super airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freezer for 3 months. If it's not a super airtight container, smooth the surface and cover with a thin layer of olive oil - basil goes brown when in contact with air.
- Makes enough for: 300g/10oz dried pasta of choice (can stretch to 350g/12oz). See here for how to make a great simple pesto pasta!
Notes
- Basil - important to use FRESH basil leaves here, not basil that's been in your fridge for a week (goes brown when blitzed!)
- If using cup measures for the basil, press the leaves in tightly to measure (else you will be short).
- Variations - Use the same ratios above and switch the basil/pinenuts for any of the following:
- General
- Rocket/arugula, baby spinach, spinach, silverbeet, kale, parsley
- Walnuts, cashews (best sub for pine nuts), almonds, hazelnuts. Haven't tried with seeds like sunflower seeds but I see no reason why they wouldn't work (but I wouldn't use with kale)
- Makes just short of 1 cup of pesto. Use for 300g/10oz pasta of choice to coat generously (3 large servings, 4 smallish servings), or up to 350g/12oz (4 standard servings).
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
120 reviews
Excellent
Other Recipes
You'll Also Love
Orecchiette Sausage Pasta in Creamy Tomato Sauce
American, Italian-American Fussion
5.0
(288 reviews)
