The flavor of made-from-scratch pesto is worth a little work, but this recipe makes it simple. Use a food processor or your mortar and pestle to turn your fresh basil into an amazing sauce for your favorite dishes.
What to do with Too Much Basil?
First off, can you ever truly have too much basil?
Well, if you have found yourself with a large quantity of basil from a thriving herb garden or by simply buying way too much from the store, homemade pesto is the perfect way to use it up.
With just six simple ingredients, you can turn all that basil into a scrumptious sauce to use on everything.
Pesto Storage & Serving Suggestions
Storing Fresh Pesto
This pesto will stay fresh for a week in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer. If you freeze it, the pesto may need to be mixed after thawing to incorporate the oil back into the mix.
Ways to Serve Pesto
My favorite way to eat this is a simple plate of pesto noodles. It makes a simple, yummy dinner or an easy side dish. Rotini noodles work best in my opinion. The ridges give the pesto something to cling to. This recipe will easily coat 16 oz of pasta.
I often use chickpea noodles for a gluten-free pesto noodle with protein, but any type of pasta will work.
This pesto would also be delicious with spaghetti squash and Italian sausage, stuffed in mushrooms, on roasted meats and veggies, or anything else you want to give a whole lot of flavor.
A Few Notes...
General Recipe Notes
- I use large cloves of garlic or will say 2 small cloves equals one clove. This works well for the garlic lovers of the world, but feel free to tone it down if you are not one of them.
- You don't technically have to blanch the basil, but it will keep the pesto from browning over time.
- There are different methods to toast pine nuts, but I prefer convection baking them in my toaster oven. Convection helps the nuts toast very evenly, and I have been far more successful toasting nuts in an oven/toaster oven than on the stovetop.
- For a more budget-friendly recipe, replace the pine nuts with walnuts or any nut you'd like.
- Let this pesto sit in the fridge at least overnight to let the raw garlic flavor mellow out.
- I like to leave large chunks of basil leaves, but you can continue to process/pound the pesto into a finer paste if you choose.
Mortar & Pestle Tips
- You may need to break ingredients up to pound the pesto in batches. Consider the size of your mortar before starting.
- Adding a pinch of course salt to the pine nuts and garlic can help the garlic to break down more easily.
Stay riled up and keep the joy in cooking <3
Homemade Basil Pesto
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 to 5 c Fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 c Pine nuts
- 6 Large cloves garlic
- 1/2 c Parmesan or pecorino cheese
- 1/2 c Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
Ingredient Preparation
- Basil: Get a pot of salt water boiling (as salty as the sea), and drop the basil leaves in for one minute. Quickly remove the leaves with a slotted spoon or by pouring through a sieve and place them in an ice water bath to cool. Place the blanched basil leaves in a cheese cloth and squeeze out any excess water. If you plan to use a mortar & pestle to make your pesto, chop the leaves up as much as possible.
- Pine Nuts: Bake the nuts at 300 degrees (in a convection oven if possible or a traditional oven if not), checking & flipping every 3-5 minutes until they become a nice golden-brown color. This around 15 minutes, but time could vary depending on your oven.
- Garlic: Smash, peel, and roughly chop the garlic
- Cheese: Grate cheese with a microplane
Food Processor Directions
- Put pine nuts & garlic in the food processor let it run on low until the nuts and garlic have become a chunky paste.
- Add the cheese, basil, and 2 tbsp of olive oil before starting the food processor again.
- Stop the food processor to check the pesto periodically, adding more olive oil in small amounts as needed until you get the desired consistency.
- Add salt to taste.
Mortar & Pestle Directions
- Pound the pine nuts & garlic to crush them into a paste.
- Add the cheese, basil, and a small amount of olive oil (not more than a tablespoon to start). Pound the ingredients together, slowly adding more olive oil until the pesto has reached the desired consistency.
- Add salt to taste.
What do you think of this recipe? Leave a comment below!
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