Basic basil pesto
July 21, 2008 by Cyndi Lavin
Filed under Recipes
There are are a gazillion different ways to make pesto, so here is a very basic recipe along with the how-tos. When basil is plentiful in the spring and summer, it’s tempting to get out your food processor and whip up some batches both for now and for later. Pesto freezes quite well, and you can even freeze very small cubes of it in an icecube tray and store them in a ziploc bag for winter use. Imagine just being able to thaw what you need all through the winter. Does that tempt you to get out your food processor?
Basic Basil Pesto
6 c fresh basil, stemmed
1 c pine nuts, toasted
2 cloves of garlic
1 t each salt and pepper
1 c olive oil
Toast the pine nuts lightly in a skillet or stir fry pan. Process the pine nuts and garlic until finely chopped. Add the basil and chop finely, scraping the sides as needed and adding the salt and pepper. Process in the oil by gradually adding it while the machine is running. Continue to scrape the sides as needed.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
I used to make my pesto like this, but you can actually make it all raw, and it tastes just as good if not better and takes no time at all to cook. I have never had anyone dislike my pesto. I use pine nuts from the store and blend them in a food processor, when they are chopped, I add the fresh basil, and blend again. Then I add garlic and Parmesan cheese and when it’s all blended together, I add Olive oil until it’s just slightly over-saturated.
I really prefer to have the pine nuts toasted, but all the rest of the recipe above is raw. Like I said, a gazillion different ways to make it