PESTO
With the fragrant aroma and freshness of basil, today we’re making Pesto alla Genovese!
I truly believe it's one of the most delicious things out there and it comes in many variations.
Traditionally, pesto should be made with a mortar and pestle to preserve its authentic flavor.
But for convenience, today we’ll use a food processor!
As I mentioned, we’re making pesto today, but stay tuned because next week we’ll be using it to make a pasta dish that’s anything but ordinary.
(Check the bottom of the recipe!)
It’ll be a super summery recipe… and yes, it will be addictive!
Let’s check out the ingredients.
Ingredients:
1½ cups fresh basil leaves (about 2.8 oz / 80 g)
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2.5 oz / 70 g)
(use nutritional yeast for the vegan version)¼ cup pine nuts (about 1 oz / 30 g)
½ teaspoon salt (about 0.1 oz / 3 g)
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (about 2.5 oz / 70 g)
1 garlic clove (optional)
Instructions:
Start by washing all the basil leaves well in cold water, then dry them thoroughly.
Using a food processor, pulse the pine nuts first until slightly chopped.
Add the basil and salt, and pulse intermittently. This prevents the ingredients from heating up and losing flavor or color.
Scrape down the sides with a spoon and blend again to combine everything evenly.
Once the mixture becomes fairly creamy, add the Parmesan (or nutritional yeast) and pulse a couple more times.
Finally, add the olive oil and mix everything together with a spoon.
TIPS:
1. To make your pesto even creamier, add an ice cube to the food processor while blending! ❄️
It helps keep the temperature low and preserves the vibrant green color, while giving the sauce a smoother texture.
And just like that your homemade pesto is ready!
2. Pesto isn’t just great with pasta!
It’s amazing on bruschetta too.
Just toast some bread, spread a layer of pesto, top it with cherry tomatoes, a pinch of salt and pepper.
Enjoy!
Spoiler for the next recipe:
Pasta with Potatoes and Green Beans!
Stay tuned! 🌿🍝
