Basil Pesto is so easy to make and such a fresh, vibrant ingredient added to pasta, chicken, veggies, or sandwiches. I LOVE using pesto instead of mayonnaise on my sandwiches at home. It adds just the right amount of creaminess and a delicious fresh flavor to any dish!
You know those conversation cards you find at restaurants or get-to-know-each-other events that ask all the dumb questions like “what’s your favorite movie”, “if you could be any animal, what would you be”, etc? I’m REALLY bad at answering those questions usually because I don’t have ONE favorite of most anything. I have multiple favorite movies, forget even trying to name my favorite song, and I don’t care to ever be an animal or kitchen utensil! But the ONE QUESTION I do know the answer to is “what is my favorite smell”. That’s simple – BASIL! All the way, without a doubt!
So cooking with basil is very easy for me because I can have my entire kitchen smelling like it all the time! I always buy a basil plant every spring. There really is no comparison to having FRESH basil (and I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the “fresh” basil in the plastic container at the grocery store really isn’t fresh at all). Next time you’re at the grocery or garden store, grab a small fresh basil plant and watch how quickly and easily it grows. And then use it in EVERY.THING.
Back to the topic, though – Basil Pesto! An easy-to-make ingredient that can literally be used on just about anything. We love it on pasta, drizzled over grilled chicken, as a mayonnaise replacement on a sandwich, or as a dip for veggies.
Here’s how to make it:
- Grab 2-3 cups of fresh basil. If it’s coming out of your yard, be sure to wash it or put it in a large bowl of water to remove all of the dirt. Add the washed basil to a food processor.
- In a small skillet or toaster oven, toast 1/3 cup of pine nuts. Watch it carefully – they burn quickly! Once they are toasted, remove them from the heat and add them to the food processor with the basil.
- Add 2 cloves of garlic to the food processor and pulse until everything is chopped and combined.
- While the food processor is on, slowly stream in a 1/3 cup of olive oil. If you want your pesto to be thicker and chunkier, add the olive oil a little at a time until you get the consistency you prefer. I like mine to be more like a sauce so I usually add a little extra olive oil.
- Squeeze the juice from half a lemon into the pesto. Season with salt and pepper.
- Remove pesto from the food processor. Add 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese and stir in with a spoon. Taste for seasoning and consistency.
Not a basil fan (I mean, I’ll forgive you)? Try these instead:
Michael Chiarello’s Arugula Pesto
How to Make Homemade Pesto out of Anything – Bon Appetit
Basil Pesto
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh basil
- 1/3 cup olive oil (or more depending on the consistency you like)
- 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 lemon, squeezed
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (more if desired)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Add rinsed basil to a food processor.
- In a small skillet or toaster oven, toast 1/3 cup of pine nuts. Watch them closely - them burn quickly!
- Add 2 peeled cloves of garlic and the pine nuts to the food processor.
- Pulse a few times until everything is chopped and combined.
- With mixer running, slowly drizzle in 1/3 cup of olive oil. If you want a thinner consistency, add a little extra olive oil. If you want your pesto thicker and chunkier, add a little less.
- Squeeze half a lemon into the basil while mixing.
- Season with salt and pepper. Remove the basil from the mixer and into a bowl. Add 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese to the basil and stir with a spoon. Taste for seasoning and consistency.
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