Fresh Basil Pesto- Delicious and Simple to Make
Add all ingredients except olive oil into a food chopper/processor. Process until a coarse paste is formed. Transfer to a bowl, add the olive oil and stir till blended. Serve immediately with bread, or use as you wish, with pasta, pizza, etc. Enjoy!
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.
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)
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.
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 2tbspCalories: 46kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 106mgPotassium: 45mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 421IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 1mg
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