One of my favorite things about summer is having my herb garden in full bloom. Basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, sage, dill, chives, tarragon, lavender. . . as many as I can fit in my small space. Fresh herbs really spice up a meal and the convenience of having them outside my back door makes for delicious summer eating. A few herbs like rosemary and sage last through the winter, but basil is sensitive to cold weather. So, I have to take full advantage of its abundance in the summertime.
The more frequently herbs are harvested, the better they grow, so I find myself pruning back perfectly good basil branches, leaving me with plentiful amounts of fresh basil to use up. What to do with all the basil? Make pesto of course! My simple pesto recipe requires only a few ingredients: basil, pine nuts, fresh garlic, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil.
Preparing Pesto
Aromatic and flavorful, basil is definitely the shining star in pesto. Be gentle with basil as it will bruise and turn brown easily. Store your fresh basil on the counter top in a glass of water since refrigeration will cause the basil leaves to brown. When you’re ready to prepare the pesto, rinse the basil well in cold water and gently blot dry with a towel to make sure you don’t have excess water lingering on the leaves. Measure about 2 ½ cups packed basil and put it in your food processor.
Peel the garlic by pounding it with a flat side of your knife to allow the skin to come off easily. If you’re not a garlic fan, just one clove will do fine. I usually add 3 cloves. In my world, there’s never too much garlic. Toss the garlic in your food processor along with ⅓ cup pine nuts and ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese. I know using cheese from a container is easier, but don’t skip freshly grating the cheese; it makes a big difference.
Pulse these ingredients for about 30 seconds and then slowly drizzle the olive oil into the processor while it’s running. Going slow here is key because you are trying to create an emulsion. Continue to process until all the oil has been added and the mixture is chunky, but well blended. You will need to stop the food processor periodically to scrape down the sides. Add the salt and pepper to taste and run the processor again. Now taste the pesto, and add more of any ingredient until you reach your desired taste.
Substitutions
- If you don’t have enough basil or you just want to experiment with flavors, exchange 1/2 cup spinach for 1/2 cup basil.
- Pine nuts are expensive and sometimes hard to find. You can sub almonds, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds for the pine nuts without sacrificing too much flavor. I do prefer pine nuts over any substitute in pesto, but the other options will work.
- If you are dairy-free or vegan, you can use 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast in place of the cheese.
Tips
- Toast the nuts before adding to the food processor. Put in a small pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until the nuts become fragrant.
- Choose a good quality extra virgin olive oil. Picking extra virgin over virgin or light olive oil is a good choice because extra-virgin olive oil has more antioxidants and flavor.
- Don’t over process. Pesto sauce is meant to be a little bit chunky.
Storing Pesto
You can store your pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 5 to 7 days. Pesto freezes beautifully so extra pesto can be placed in glass jars or containers to freeze, or you can create small portions by using ice cube trays. Once frozen (or almost frozen), pop them out of the tray and freeze single portions in a freezer bag.
Delicious Ideas For Pesto
I love pesto so much that I am content to spread it on a piece of whole grain toast and top with sliced tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. But there are so many other ways to serve pesto. Here are a few of my favorites.
- Chicken Pesto Panini – just spread it on two pieces of bread, add cooked shredded chicken, a tomato slice and mozzarella cheese. Warm on a panini press or in a pan until the cheese melts
- Pesto Zoodles and Shrimp – Toss zucchini noodles and shrimp in pesto sauce
- Pesto Pasta with grilled veggies – Toss Pasta and grilled veggies in pesto sauce *It helps to reserve some of the pasta’s cooking water add a few drops to help the pasta combine with the pesto
- Pesto Pizza – Smooth it onto a crust and add mozzarella and tomatoes
- Use it to top chicken – Serve it on top or on the side of grilled chicken
- Bake pesto chicken in the oven or slow cooker- Delicious, nourishing and easy. Find the recipe here.
Basil Pesto
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups packed fresh basil
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 1 or 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except for extra virgin olive oil into a food processor and pulse for about 30 seconds.
- Slowly drizzle in the EVOO while the food processor runs. Continue to blend until the pesto is beginning to get smooth, periodically turning the food processor off to scrape down the sides.
- When the oil is fully incorporated, add salt and pepper. Give it a quick taste and add more of any ingredients if needed to get desired taste. Run the food processor again until all the ingredients are well blended. The pesto should be a bit chunky.