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  • Fresh Basil Pesto

    2 votes
    Fresh Basil Pesto
    Prep: 10 min Cook: 5 min Servings: 2
    by Ashley Tozer
    33 recipes
    >
    A delicious basil pesto that is simple to whip up.

    Ingredients

    • 1 cups fresh basil leaves, stemmed [Keep a bunch of different herbs in the freezer for easy access]
    • 1 cups fresh spinach leaves, stemmed [We keep a bag of spinach in the freezer for this reason alone]
    • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • 1/2 cup EV Olive oil
    • 1 Tbsp Dried Basil
    • 3 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts [I picked up a small amount of Pine Nuts at Bulk Barn and they were $4!!! Walnuts will do just fine, but if you want that truly authentic flavor, treat yourself to the Pine Nuts]
    • 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Directions

    1. Place basil leaves in small batches in food processor or magic bullet and whip until well chopped.
    2. Add about 1/3 the nuts and garlic, blend again.
    3. Add about 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese; blend while slowly adding about 1/3 of the olive oil, stopping to scrape down sides of container.
    4. Process basil pesto it forms a thick smooth paste.
    5. Repeat until all ingredients are used, mix all batches together well.
    6. Serve with pasta or alternate, like chicken! OR BOTH.

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    Comments

    • linda gilmer
      linda gilmer
      Excuse me but have you ever eaten a real basil pesto? Origine: Genoa - Regione: Liguria where I have lived for the last 44 years.
      1. Use a mortar to crush your basil garlic and salt together. (if you don't have a mortar, which is the tradizionale way of making pesto, a food prosessor can be used)
      2. Spinich leaves have nothing to do whatsoever with this recepie, especially frozen ones
      3. Wallnuts have nothing to with the original recepie, use only pine nuts
      4. Use half grated parmisan cheese and half grated hard sheep cheese (it's not the same without the two)
      5. I am British and lived in Australia for four years. In both countries this famouse PESTO was drowned in CREAM!
      6. An original recepie must not be changed. Please, give it another name (sauce for example).
      7. Here in Italy we are already angry for all these different pseudo-pesto's that are on the market. Meny are very nice for different things but PLEASE, call them sauces! I will try yours with spinich (but with fresh spinich and without basil because the two things are totaly different).
      Have a good evening.
      Linda

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