Let’s Make: Pesto
This delicious sauce is refreshing, spicy, and bright. It’s perfect for a little picnic with friends, or to spread on some potato wedges. It’s super simple and super easy, without much hassle either. Any picky eaters will eat this, so there’s so drama of realizing that your friend can no longer be your friend because of their selective eating habits–even though they do drugs on the weekends.
I’m not Italian, but I made this recipe on a whim of growing too much basil (yes, my mom grew the wrong herb 😉). This recipe may or may not be a traditional recipe, because I did add toasted walnuts instead of pine nuts. I honestly won’t recommend adding pine nuts in, because they expensive and honestly don’t add much difference in taste or texture.
I also added basil at two different parts of the blending process, so that I could have the basil leave in different lengths and textures. You don’t have to do that, but it does make the pesto a lot more interesting.
This is best eaten fresh, when the basil oils still have a little spicy kick in it. If not eaten fresh, then you are missing out. Although, it can be stored in an air-tight container for 2 weeks or frozen for your great-great-grandchildren to eat.
Let’s Get Cooking
In-Depth Recipe at the Bottom
Pesto: Super Easy, Bright, and Refreshing
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 2 Tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 7 Garlic Cloves
- 1 C Olive Oil (Add more or less for desired consistency)
- 2 C Basil (reserve ¼ cup for some textured
- Juice of Half a Lemon
- 1 Small Handful Toasted Walnuts (Preferred Toasted, Toasting instruction below, or Toasted Pine Nuts)
- 3 Oz Parmesan (Cut in Chunks or Grana Padano or Romano)
Instructions
Procedure:
- In a food processor, blender, or mortar and pestle, blend together the Olive Oil, Most of the Basil (if wanted), Salt, Pepper, Garlic, and Lemon Juice into a paste/sauce
- Add in the reserved Basil (for that extra difference in Basil texture if wanted), Parmesan, and Walnuts. Pulse until desired texture of the Nuts and Cheese is reached.
Notes
In-Depth Recipe:
Pesto: Super Easy, Bright, and Refreshing (No Drama)
If using toasted nuts, set them on a baking sheet and put them in a 350F oven for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. In a food processor, blender or mortar and pestle, blend or mash together the Olive Oil, Basil, Salt, Pepper, Garlic, and Lemon Juice into a paste/sauce. You can add less or more Olive Oil based on one’s desired thickness of sauce.
Add in reserved Basil (If wanted), Parmesan, and Walnuts. Pulse until the desired texture is achieved.
