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Basil Pesto

Fresh Basil Pesto - so delicious and versatile! Great as a sauce for pasta, chicken, fish, filling for meat and poultry, and as a spread on a toasted warm baguette. And not to forget how flavorful the pesto is: basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic and olive oil - a winning team, a perfect combination.

Ingredients

  • 60g Basil
  • 120g Pine nuts
  • 100g Parmesan cheese, graded or shaved
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 cup olive oil, divided
  • Salt, to taste

Basil Pesto

Basil Pesto

We love pesto. I often have it in a fridge to use for chicken and pasta recipes. Seeing fresh basil plants in a grocery store I decided to make my own fresh pesto. I am very happy with the results. 

Ingredients

60g Basil 
120g Pine nuts
100g Parmesan cheese, graded or shaved
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup olive oil, divided
Salt, to taste

Directions

Homemade Basil Pesto

Wash the basil leaves and dry with a paper towel. 
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the Pine nuts into ovenproof form and grill for about a minute.
Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. 

Basil Pesto
Add cheese and half the olive oil and pulse until incorporated. If you prefer the smoother texture process the ingredients for a bit longer. I prefer to have some texture and feel nut crumbs, so I stop processing before the mixture becomes smooth.  
Season with salt.
Add olive oil as needed and mix with a spoon. 
If you use pesto after refrigerating, add more olive oil right before using. The amount of olive oil and the consistency will depend on what do you want the pesto to use for: Sauce for pasta, filling for meat, or spread on a toasted baguette. 
Either way the freshly prepared pesto is super easy to prepare, versatile and very healthy.
Enjoy! 

Basil Pesto

Step-by-Step Instructions

1.
1. Wash the basil leaves and dry with a paper towel.
2.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the Pine nuts into ovenproof form and grill for about a minute.
3.
3. Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
4.
4. Add cheese and half the olive oil and pulse until incorporated. If you prefer the smoother texture process the ingredients for a bit longer. I prefer to have some texture and feel nut crumbs, so I stop processing before the mixture becomes smooth.
5.
5. Season with salt.
6.
6. Add olive oil as needed and mix with a spoon.
7.
If you use pesto after refrigerating, add more olive oil right before using. The amount of olive oil and the consistency will depend on what do you want the pesto to use for: Sauce for pasta, filling for meat, or spread on a toasted baguette.
8.
Either way the freshly prepared pesto is super easy to prepare, versatile and very healthy.
9.
Enjoy!

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