Pesto is a classic Italian sauce that was developed back in the 16th century and has been a staple in Italian kitchens ever since. The word pesto translates to “crushed” and this makes perfect sense, because pesto is a simple combination of fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan and olive oil that is crushed or blended in a food processor into a flavorful sauce that can be used as a spread on sandwiches, as a pasta sauce, vegetable dip or a topping for soups or other sauces.
Although the ingredients in pesto are very simple, it is the combination of these fresh elements that come together to create something so special. Fresh herbs, nuts, cheese and garlic with a little squeeze of lemon juice and salt is such a classic pairing and thankfully, all you need to do it combine everything in a food processor and blend it all up.
No cooking, no chopping, no mixing… just combine, blend and enjoy!
Let’s get started…
The cool thing about most pesto recipes is that they are usually similar amounts of most of the ingredients and while it is common to use 1/4 or 1/3 cup amounts, I like to base my recipe off of a 4 ounce bag of pine nuts, which is about 1/2 cup by volume.
In addition to the pine nuts, you will need 1/2 cup of freshly shredded parmesan, 1/2 cup of a good extra virgin olive oil, 3 cloves of finely minced or crushed garlic, 1 1/2 – 2 cups of fresh basil leaves, a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice and some salt and black pepper.
Combine the pine nuts, parmesan, garlic and basil in a food processor and pulse until everything is mostly broken down. I like to pull the basil leaves off of the stems and hand tear them into smaller pieces, so they break down easier, but I would not chop them with a knife, because basil tends to bruise easily and you can leave a lot of that beautiful basil flavor back on the cutting board and what a shame that would be…
Add 1/3 cup of of the olive oil, a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice and a healthy pinch of salt and black pepper and blend until the pesto reaches your preferred consistency. I like to leave mine a little on the chunky side, but the good thing about pesto is that whether you leave it chunky or blend it down real smooth, it will all taste fantastic.
Add the remaining olive oil if it looks like thinning is required and do a quick taste test to see if you need more salt.
I almost always end up adding more salt, but I’m a salty gal. You will know that you added enough salt when your taste test feels like a flavor explosion.
This basil pesto always inspires me to make a sandwich and today, I built this beauty with some shaved turkey, havarti cheese, arugula and a thick spread of pesto on ciabatta and let me tell you… it was so good…
If you have always loved pesto at restaurants, your grandma made fabulous pesto or you have wanted to try it for a while now, I would love for you to give my basil pesto a try!
I think you will absolutely love it…
Basil Pesto
Ingredients
- 4 ounces of pine nuts
- 1/2 cup of parmesan, finely shredded
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced or crushed
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups of fresh basil, hand torn
- 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Combine 4 ounces of pine nuts, 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan, 3 cloves of finely minced or crushed garlic and 1 1/2 - 2 cups of fresh hand torn basil leaves in a food processor and pulse until mostly broken down
- Add about 1/3 cup of the olive oil along with a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt and black pepper and blend until the pesto reaches your preferred texture
- Add the remaining olive oil if thinning is desired
- Taste and add additional salt, if necessary
- Store in an airtight container
- Pesto will store well in the refrigerator for up to a week and keeps best if covered with a thin layer of olive oil to protect the pesto from air
