Condiment or a sauce ? It’s both and it is a must have staple in my fridge. I’m currently on a keto diet so I love the way it gives a quick flavour boost to my meals. I dollop it on my roast veggies, roast meats, fish and salads. I spoon it into my soups and I eat it as a dip. Try it with your eggs at breakfast. Pesto is so versatile.
Pesto pasta is a winner but it’s also great on a baked potato on a pizza or in a sandwich or panini.
Homemade pesto’s aromatics and taste is hard to beat. Store bought pesto is processed and tastes like vinegar. It’s simple to make and it will last up to 7 days in the fridge.
Basil Pesto
Course: Condiment, SauceCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Beginner16
Table spoons15
minutes80
kcalIngredients
1 bunch picked Basil leaves
100g finely grated Parmesan. ( Grana Padano or Reggiano only )
100 mls Extra Virgin Olive Oil ( EVO )
1 Garlic clove ( small )
Directions
- Pick basil leaves. Wash if gritty. Be sure to pat dry with paper towel as any excess water is not good as it may prevent the pesto from becoming bright green. Hydroponically grown basil should not need washing
- Place basil leaves into a bowl and dress with 50mls Extra Virgin Olive Oil to coat the leaves.
- Place all the dressed basil leaves into a Nutri Bullet style blender with a small garlic clove. Mix for 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides with a spoon or spatula. Add another 50mls of the oil and blend again until smooth. If it’s a little clumpy add a few more drops of oil. Push any basil on the side of blender down. Continue to mix until you have a smooth dark green oil. Empty into a mixing bowl.
- Add the finely grated parmesan cheese to the bowl and stir it into the dark green basil oil with a spoon or whisk. Add a little oil to loosen if too thick. As the fine parmesan absorbs the dark basil oil the pesto should turn a bright light green with in a minute or two
- With a spatula scrape the pesto into an air tight container. I drizzle a millimetre over the top of the pesto to stop it coming into contact with any air. This will help preserve it’s freshness and colour
Recipe Video
Notes
- Remember not all basil bunches are the same size. You may need to make small adjustments accordingly. The more you make pesto you will instinctively know if you will need more or less of anything
- Too much oil at anytime is not good. I prefer to add to add a little by little.
- It’s important to use only real Italian Parmesan. Grana Padano or Reggiano
- I choose not to use salt and pepper. The parmesan should provide enough savoury saltiness. Feel free to add if you like. Similarly I choose not to add ant nuts for example pine nuts.
- Have all the ingredients prepared and ready to go before you start the blending process. The quicker you can make the pesto the better. Speed will help retain the colour
