INGREDIENTS
- 2 to 3 handfuls of fresh basil
- 4 to 6 tablespoon of pine nuts
- 5 cloves of garlic
- cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- finely grated parmesan cheese
PREPARATION
- place the basil leaves, pine nuts, some of the garlic, and 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil into a food processor
- blend until it all turns into a paste like texture and add some more olive oil little by little if you are having trouble blending it.
- do a taste test and add more garlic if necessary. Then add finely grated parmesan cheese and keep blending.
- keep adding olive oil until you reach the consistency you prefer and finally add some salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon it into a jar and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days, if it even lasts so long 🙂
KITCHEN EQUIPMENT
All you need is a strong food processor and a jar to store the finish product. You can also just eat it all straight out of the food processor. No one is judging!
COACHES CORNER
- If you are out of pine nuts or simply just find it too expensive you can always replace them with cashews or walnuts. The taste will not be the same, but you can always play around with the rest of the ingredients to tailor it to your preferences.
- Don't limit yourself to the ingredients listed above. Experiment and have fun with it. You can add parsley, avocado, or turn it into a red pesto sauce with some sun-dried tomatoes. Let us know if you have created something awesome!
- Garlic paste is a great substitute for garlic cloves if you do not want to bother with peeling and chopping. Start adding it little by little until you get the perfect taste.
- Do not go cheap on the olive oil. We don't mean buy the most expensive bottle available. Try to buy olive oil from countries where is grown. Usually a good indicator of higher quality is the price but sometimes it can also just mean strong marketing skills. Invest in a bottle of gorgeous cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, it is a game changer.
- This pesto can make a simple bowl of cooked pasta taste like the best meal you have had in a long time. Really.
- It tastes even better after 12-24 hours in the fridge! 🙂
SERVING SIZE & MACRO NUTRIENTS
With the ingredients above you will get a small jar (fairly small jar) of pesto. Macros will largely depend on the amount of olive oil and parmesan you use.
