Fresh basil pesto – so very simple to make this utterly delicious and “Skinny Pesto”.
Freshly harvested from my garden, the heady fragrance of basil quickly permeates my kitchen. Of course, collecting my stash meant I had to watch out for angry bees: they really didn’t like me disturbing their feeding frenzy on the Basil flowers!
Just the word “Basil” (Bay-sil or Bay-zil) triggers a ton of memories and literally makes me salivate! Pasta, pizza, pesto, tomato soup, fresh bread with Basil-olive oil … The images and their associated aromas flash through my psyche as I inhale, savoring the fragrance of the freshly harvested basil from my backyard.
The special flavor and aroma of Basil: Eugenol
What is it that makes Basil smell the way it does? And why is it so elusive and fleeting ? How can I ‘trap’ it for just a bit longer, so I can properly inhale it – long enough for my brain to capture its essence and let it linger on in my memory?
Eugenol, a substance found in many herbs and spices, is one of the aroma-chemicals produced by the basil plant. It is also the main substance responsible for the flavor and smell of cloves. The first time I had a traditional Italian pesto, soon after coming to the US many years ago, I actually asked someone if there were cloves in the pesto. My new American friend thought that was a strange question!
Perplexed and intrigued, I decided to do some homework; as I explored the flavor and aroma components of basil, I soon had my ‘Aha!’ moment! My question had not really been strange at all! It was the Eugenol in the basil that had triggered the surfacing of remembered fragrances from my past. And, not unexpectedly for someone who grew up in India, my memories most certainly included cloves!
Pesto – the oil traps the unique flavors
Eugenol, known for its pain-relieving properties (especially for toothaches) as well as its strong antioxidant and antibacterial properties, is rather volatile, so it evaporates quickly. This is why dried basil leaves are far less flavorful than the fresh ones – some of the flavor/aroma components have literally vanished into thin air!
One way to ‘trap’ the Eugenol (and various other aroma substances) from basil is by mixing the chopped leaves with edible oil. As the oil becomes infused with the various components of basil, it becomes super-flavorful: quite perfect for a variety of culinary preparations.
This is how Pesto manages to retain the elusive basil flavor: the fats from the cheese, oil-rich nuts (pine nuts/walnuts) and olive oil extract and dissolve the Eugenol (and other components) from the basil. This slows down their evaporation, and the flavor-packed pesto makes a great addition to any meal.
How to make Pesto?
How to make Pesto? It’s incredibly simple: just put all the ingredients in a chopper/food processor and grind to a slightly coarse paste. That’s it! So easy to ‘trap’ the elusive essence of basil, if only for just a few days!
Why does it not last longer than just a few days? Well, the Eugenol does not really stay ‘trapped’ for ever, so the pesto will slowly lose some of its flavor. You can, of course, make a larger batch and freeze a portion to savor later (it’s good for several weeks).
Traditional Pesto: Loaded with oil
Traditional recipes typically use only the basic 5 ingredients: basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and olive oil. When I look at the proportions of the ingredients in various recipes, they all seem to have one thing in common: a lot of olive oil – I mean, really a lot!
And yes, I do know that olive oil is good for health, but my brain simply balks at the idea of adding that much oil to anything. A 2 tbsp serving of traditional pesto can pack 12-15 g fat – no, thank you! I love pesto and don’t really want to feel guilty if I go a bit overboard sometimes. Thus began my quest for a “Skinny Pesto”!
Skinny Pesto: Guilt-Free Yumminess!
As I began to tinker with this basic pesto recipe to create a “Skinny Pesto”, I decided to use my “Indian Chutney” know-how. If you’re from the Indian sub-continent, the basic pesto recipe probably reminds you of a Mint or Coriander (Cilantro) Chutney – except for the spicy kick that these Chutneys typically have! So, it would seem natural to think of Pesto as an Italian-style Chutney!
Most Indian chutneys do not have added oil, except maybe for a bit of Tadka in some chutneys. So I figured I could borrow some ideas from Chutney-making to create a tasty pesto with less oil. After a few trials, I had my “winner” – the recipe I’ve shared here is much-loved by all in my circle of family and friends.
So what do I do? I add in some “kick and zing”, with spicy green chillies (Serrano, Jalapeno, Thai… your choice) and black pepper, along with a bit of tartness, with fresh lime/lemon juice. With so much flavor already packed into the pesto, I need to add just a little bit of olive oil to bring it all together.
An added bonus: the Vitamin C from the freshly squeezed lime/lemon juice also helps to preserve the lovely green color of the pesto. Without it, the pesto can soon turn dull, as its bright green color begins to acquire brownish hue.
Special Diets
This Fresh Basil Pesto is gluten-free and soy-free. To make it nut-free, replace the pine nuts with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds. For a vegan pesto, either omit the Parmesan cheese or replace it with you favorite vegan substitutes. Nutritional yeast is a great vegan option, and if you can have soy, so is tofu (or a soy-based cheese). See Recipe Notes for various substitution options.
This ‘Skinny’ pesto is also low in fat, with only 4g fat per serving (2 tbsp) and it has almost no carbs. It packs a lot of micro-nutrients, mostly from the basil – especially Vitamins A and K, magnesium, manganese, etc. The other ingredients, too, add to the overall nutrient composition of this delicious pesto.
Still have Basil left over?
If you do happen to have some fresh basil leaves left over after you’ve made pesto, maybe you would also like to make a Simple Tomato Basil Soup – so perfect for dunking some crunchy Parmesan Croutons. And while we’re thinking about fun ways to use fresh basil, how about a delightful salad? Fresh basil leaves and a colorful mix of baby greens, tossed with a little bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I’m drooling already!
So, it’s time for you to get started on your Basil Fest! The pesto will probably gobble up quite a bit of of what seems like a big stash of fresh basil. Once you’ve made it, go ahead, get on it right away, before the flavor starts to vanish…. Enjoy your pesto with gusto! Put it on fresh bread with cheese, toss it with pasta, add it to a soup or a salad, just let your imagination rip. And to mop up the very last traces of pesto from your plate – maybe yet another piece of pillow-soft fresh bread? Yumm!
Basil Fest indeed … and oh, the lingering memories from this time will surely make you smile the next time you catch a whiff of that so-hard-to-catch…. Mr. Eugenol!
Do post a review and star rating – your feedback is much appreciated.
Enjoy!
Fresh Basil Pesto- Delicious and Simple to Make
Equipment
- Electric Food processor or chopper preferred. If not available, you can use an electric blender, with pulse action
Ingredients
- 3 cups Fresh Basil leaves – trimmed, washed, dried on a cloth towel (or salad spinner) to remove excess moisture; loosely packed and measured after chopping; If you don’t have enough fresh basil, see Recipe Notes for substitution ideas.
- 2 tbsp Raw Pine Nuts if not available, use raw Walnuts or raw Cashews; for nut-free pesto, use raw Pumpkin seeds
- 2 tbsp Fresh Lime/lemon juice if fresh not available, bottled is OK
- 3/8 tsp Salt adjust to taste preference at the end – may need to add about 1/4-1/2 tsp more
- 3-4 cloves Garlic – chopped, about 2 tsp
- 1/2 tsp Crushed red pepper (optional) also called chilli flakes
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper – freshly ground freshly ground pepper is more flavorful; if not available, pre-ground pepper is OK
- 1/2 tsp Serrano pepper – optional – chopped finely adjust to desired spiciness; any variety of fresh, spicy green Chillies OK
- 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese Grated (coarse powder); omit if not available (or substitute with a different cheese: see Recipe Notes for ideas
- 2 tbsp Olive oil Extra-Virgin Olive Oil recommended; add 1-2 tbsp more if you like;. If not available, use another mild oil sesame oil , peanut oil, almond oil, avocado oil, etc.
- 2-3 tbsp Water – boiled, cooled add as needed for desired consistency – about 2-3 tbsp
Instructions
- Trim the basil leaves from the stems. Wash them thoroughly, using a colander, and remove excess moisture from the leaves by towel-drying or with a salad-spinner. Chop the leaves to make them easier to grind.Also chop the fresh green chillies. Adjust amount based on the spiciness of the chillies.
- Transfer the chopped basil leaves and chopped green chillies to a food chopper/processor. Grind to a coarse texture. Note:If electric food chopper/processor is not available, see Recipe Notes for alternate directions for making Pesto using a blender or a Mortar and Pestle.
- Add chopped garlic and walnut pieces. Process till coarsely chopped. Add salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper (optional) and process again. Add lime/lemon juice, stir and process briefly. The mixture will look a bit dry.Add 1 tsp boiled and cooled water, and process briefly to incorporate. Repeat, adding 1 tsp at a time, till you get the right consistency.The final texture should be a bit coarse – NOT super smooth.
- Transfer the ground mixture to a bowl, stir in grated Parmesan cheese and olive oil.
- Adding Parmesan will make the mixture become more dry, since the cheese absorbs some of the moisture. So, stir in a little more water (boiled and cooled) as needed
- Serve as spread for sandwiches, mix with cooked pasta/noodles, topping for pizza, etc. Put on top of crackers, slice of fresh bread …. or just eat it by the spoonful !! Enjoy!
Notes
Not enough basil leaves?
No worries! Replace up to 1 cup fresh basil (recipe uses 3 cups basil) with ONE of the following leafy greens, and add- 1 cup raw fresh spinach, chopped (loosely packed after chopping)
- Microwave on hi for 30 seconds, cool before adding to remaining ingredients.
- add 1 tbsp dried basil leaves and grind as described in the instructions.
- 1 cup raw fresh Swiss Chard, (remove thick leaf stalks) chopped (loosely packed after chopping)
- Microwave on hi for 30 seconds, cool before adding to remaining ingredients.
- add 1 tbsp dried basil leaves and grind as described in the instructions.
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No Parmesan cheese? OR – Need a Vegan option?
Try one of the following substitutes if you don’t have Parmesan cheese, or if you want a vegan option
- 1 tbsp Feta cheese
- 1 tbsp Haloumi cheese
- 1tbsp Sharp Cheddar (white preferred)
- 1 tbsp Paneer
- 2 tsp Goat cheese
- 2 tsp Nutritional yeast (this is also a vegan option)
- 2 tsp Tofu (this is also a vegan option)
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No Food chopper/processor?
You can grind the ingredients in an electric blender or manually in a mortar and pestle. Blender: I do not really recommend using a blender for making Pesto, because a blender generally needs a little more liquid for smooth functioning. However, if you do not have a food chopper/processor, no worries.- Make the pesto in 3-4 batches, then combine
- divide the ingredient mixture into 3-4 smaller portions :
- add one portion at a time to the blender jar, the ingredients should just cover the blades
- do not add any extra liquid
- use the “pulse” function (a few seconds at a time) to grind to the desired texture.
- it may stall while pulsing; simply stir it up and pulse again.
- When mostly done, transfer to a bowl and repeat for next batch.
- After all batches are done, return to the blender and pulse again to ensure proper mixing of separate batches.
- Add lemon juice and water as needed at this stage to get the desired consistency
- Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cheese and olive oil.
- Make the pesto in 3-4 batches, then combine
- divide the ingredient mixture into 3-4 smaller portions :
- add one portion at a time to the mortar bowl.
- do not add any extra liquid
- use the pestle to pound the mixture to the desired texture.
- When mostly done, transfer to a bowl and repeat for next batch.
- After all batches are done, return all to the mortar and pound again to ensure proper mixing of separate batches.
- Transfer back to the bowl; add lemon juice and water as needed at this stage to get the desired consistency
- Stir in the cheese and olive oil.
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Storage
In refrigerator:- Place in a glass/ceramic container (bowl / jar), preferably with a well-fitting lid
- I do NOT recommend using plastic storage containers – over time, the lime/lemon juice the pesto can react with the plastic .
- Use within 4-5 days for best flavor
- Place in a glass/ceramic container (bowl / jar), preferably with a well-fitting lid
- I do NOT recommend using plastic storage containers – over time, the lime/lemon juice the pesto can react with the plastic .
- Good for 6-8 weeks, possibly longer
- Thaw by setting out on counter about 1 hour before serving. Stir thoroughly and serve.
Great timing for this recipe as all our basil.plants are growing!!
Will try for sure@!
Awesome! Let me know how it turns out!
This tastes extremely, I will be starting a basil garden to make this regularly.
Thanks Nicholas! Hope you enjoy growing your own basil. Do watch out for the bees, though!