Basil Pesto Recipe
from kristineskitchenblog.comThis homemade pesto is quick and easy to make, and so much better than store bought! This pesto recipe makes delicious basil pesto, perfect for tossing with pasta, using as a sauce for pizza, spreading on sandwiches, spooning over grilled chicken or salmon, and more!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 410kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup pine nuts
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 ounces
- 1 small clove garlic 2 small cloves if you really love garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- First, toast the pine nuts. Place them in a small skillet on the stove over medium-low heat. Toast until fragrant and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. This will only take a few minutes. Then remove the pine nuts from the hot pan and let them cool.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil leaves, pine nuts, grated Parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper. Pulse until finely chopped.
- With the food processor running, slowly pour the olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube. Process until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Video
Notes
- Recipe makes about 1 cup of basil pesto.
- To Store: To keep pesto fresher for longer in the refrigerator, put it in a small airtight container and then pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top of the pesto. The oil acts as a barrier to protect the pesto from the air, so that it keeps its bright green color for longer. Pesto will last for about 5 days stored this way in the refrigerator.
- To Freeze: My favorite way to freeze pesto is to portion the sauce out into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, pop the cubes out and transfer to a zip-top plastic bag or other storage container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. This way, you have small portions of pesto ready for using in your favorite recipes. If you don’t want to use an ice cube tray, you can freeze pesto in a small airtight container.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 cup | Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 366mg | Potassium: 181mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1063IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 2mg
