Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe
Fresh Basil Pesto
This versatile favorite is delicious on top of your favorite pasta, gnocchi, or soup. Or simply enjoy it spread across a crusty slice of bread. Most modern recipes, including this one, call for making pesto with a food processor to combine the ingredients. This method works well, but produces a very homogenized final result. For a more traditional approach, try hand-chopping the individual ingredients. The individual components that make up this recipe will be less uniform, resulting in more distinct individual flavors among bites.
- 2 cups fresh basil (loosely packed)
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- 2 – 4 garlic cloves (peeled (amount based on personal taste and strength of garlic variety used).)
- 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons really good extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- Remove basil leaves from stems, then wash and pat dry. Add basil, pine nuts, peeled garlic gloves and Parmesan cheese to food processor or blender. Quickly pulse until barely combined, then add 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil and blend thoroughly.
- Add remaining olive oil and/or additional grated Parmesan cheese to achieve the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.