Simple Basil Pesto
Simple Basil Pesto. Classic, simple basil pesto recipe with fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, Romano or Parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper. Photography Credit: Elise Bauer Every year we plant basil and every year the plants do so well that we can't use it up fast enough. Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Traditionally, pesto sauce was made using a mortar and pestle, which produces great texture. Combine basil leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and lemon juice in a bowl of a food processor. To cook Simple Basil Pesto you need 6 ingredients and 4 steps easily.
The ingredients needed to make Simple Basil Pesto:
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1 1/2 cup of fresh basil
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1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts
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3 of garlic cloves
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1/3 cup of quality olive oil
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1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
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1 of juice of half lemon
Steps to make Simple Basil Pesto:
- Toast pine nuts by adding to a pan and cooking over medium heat until they are golden.
- In food processor, add basil leaves, garlic cloves, parmesan cheese and pine nuts. Drizzle in olive oil while pulsing, until all ingredients are smooth.
- Finish off with squeezing the juice of half a lemon (to brighten the flavors) and pulsing one final time.
- Serve however preferred. We love to just dip good Italian bread into it, but you could also use it on meats or in pasta.
Fresh Basil Pesto from scratch is so easy to make. Place all the ingredients, basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and cheese in a food processor or blender and process until finely chopped and a loose sauce begins to form. I like to leave it a little chunkier so it doesn't form a paste but other recipes process until a paste begins to form. Place food processor container and blade in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Meanwhile wash and dry fresh basil leaves.
