I tried so many pesto recipes and felt so disappointed each time. They just never tasted like I imagined in my head (or like the pesto pasta from Olive Garden).
Finally, I stopped reading recipes and went with my gut. Turns out, my attempts were all missing salt and lemon juice. Once I TRIPLED those ingredients, my pesto turned out bright and delicious every time.
The 4 cups of basil is a gross guesstimation. I Just fill my blender full of my available harvest and go from there.
Basil Pesto
10
servings10
minutesAn easily adaptable, super flavorful pesto that freezes like a dream for winter use.
Ingredients
2/3 c almonds, walnuts, pine nuts or pecans (or omit and use more garlic and basil)
4 c fresh basil, loosely packed
4-8 cloves of garlic
2-3 TBSP lemon juice
1/2-1 c parmesan cheese
1-1 1/2 c olive oil
1 TBSP salt
A few grinds of fresh black pepper
Directions
- Pick the leaves off your stems of basil. No need to be precious, simply run your hands down the stem to quickly relieve it of its leaves.
- In a food processor or blender add basil and nuts. Process until chunks even out. Add everything else but the olive oil.
- Process until ingredients are roughly mushed, then with the blade spinning, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
- Scrape down the sides and process again until it smooths out. Add the full amount of olive oil depending on how thick or thin you prefer pesto.
- Taste. This is the most important part. If your pesto doesn't taste like you want to dive in and eat the whole thing with a spoon, it probably needs either more salt or more lemon juice.
- Pesto keeps for a while in the fridge, but it stores for even longer in the freezer. I like to use ice cube trays or Super Cube silicone trays to freeze in 1/2 cup portions for throwing into pasta with a little hot pasta water to temper an egg or two. It's delicious, fast, and easy.
