Pesto

I absolutely love pesto and look forward to making it every summer when the basil plants are in full production mode.  Pesto is so versatile and can elevate any dish, from an egg and toast to pasta.  I almost never use pine nuts in my pesto.  Instead, I use a nut that I always have on hand, such as walnuts or almonds.  They are not only cheaper, but add great texture and flavor to the pesto as well. I don’t hold back on the garlic or the salt in my pesto either.  I want a spread that is bright and fragrant, and that’s what you’ll find here. 

This pesto is made in the food processor rather than with mortar and pestle…it’s just faster that way, so grab it out and set it on the counter.  Rinse and remove the basil leaves from their stem until you have about three cups worth of packed leaves.  Add the basil to the food processor along with 2 large garlic cloves, 3 ounces of good parmesan cheese, ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ cup of walnuts (or your favorite nut). Process the ingredients well and until chopped finely, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl at least once.  When the ingredients are finely chopped, add ½ cup of neutral-tasting olive oil to the food processor and puree the pesto until smooth.  Serve the pesto with fresh vegetables, bread, or stir it into pasta with a bit of cream.  This recipe makes about 1½-2 cups of pesto. 

To store, scoop the pesto into a glass bowl and cover the top of the pesto completely with a healthy layer of olive oil (about ¼ inch of oil) to prevent the air from turning the pesto brown.  Refrigerate.  Alternatively, you can spoon the pesto into ice cube trays, freeze it and then pop the pesto squares into a plastic bag and into the freezer for use all winter long.  

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Pesto

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Total Time5 minutes mins

Course: Condiment, Snack

Ingredients

• 3 cups packed basil leaves
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 3 oz. parmesan cheese
• ½ tsp kosher salt (Morton's salt)
• ½ cup walnuts
• ½ cup olive oil

Instructions

• Add all the ingredients, except for the olive oil, to a large food processor. Chop the ingredients until fine, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Once finely chopped, add the olive oil to the food processor and puree until the pesto is smooth. Enjoy!
• This recipe makes about 1½-2 cups of pesto. To store, pour the pesto into a glass jar and cover it with a thick layer (¼ in.) of olive oil to prevent the air from turning the pesto brown. Refrigerate.
• Alternatively, scoop the pesto into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, pop the pesto squares into a freezer bag and store in the freezer for use all winter long.