Homemade Basil Pesto
This classic basil pesto recipe is flavorful and instantly makes any meal tastier. This pesto sauce is made with fresh basil, pine nuts, fresh garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and extra virgin olive oil.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh packed basil leaves
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 2 large garlic cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese grated
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil to desired consistency
- Salt to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Gently rinse fresh basil leaves and pat dry or use a salad spinner to remove excess water.
- Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts to the dry skillet (don’t add oil!). Heat over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until golden brown. Do not leave the stove because once they start toasting if you are not careful they can burn very easily. Set aside in a bowl to cool for a few minutes.
- Once the pine nuts are cooled, in a food processor, add the basil, toasted pine nuts, and garlic. Pulse until everything is finely chopped. Scrape down the sides.
- With machine running, drizzle in olive oil through the feed tube in a steady stream, until the mixture is creamy and smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary.
- Blend until pesto looks uniform and olive oil is emulsified into the basil. Taste the pesto and add additional seasoning or more garlic (to your taste preference).
- Pour the pesto into a medium bowl along with the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and stir until well incorporated, adding more oil to desired consistency. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. *If freezing the pesto, omit the cheese and place in an airtight container. Once thawed, add the parmesan and additional oil.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (per 2 Tablespoons; recipe makes about a ¾-1 cup)
68 Calories, 7 gram fat, 1 gram protein, 1 gram total carbohydrate, 0 gram sugar, 0 gram fiber, 57 mg sodium Notes:
Can add salt to taste. The cheese adds nice saltiness. I omit the salt because when I use the pesto in recipes I usually am seasoning that dish. To keep the pesto from oxidizing add a small drizzle of oil to lightly coat the top before refrigerating. I used freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano that you can find by the deli section. You can grate yourself but sometimes I find the consistency of the pesto changes. I lightly toast the pine nuts to deepen their nutty flavor but you can skip this step too.
68 Calories, 7 gram fat, 1 gram protein, 1 gram total carbohydrate, 0 gram sugar, 0 gram fiber, 57 mg sodium Notes:
Can add salt to taste. The cheese adds nice saltiness. I omit the salt because when I use the pesto in recipes I usually am seasoning that dish. To keep the pesto from oxidizing add a small drizzle of oil to lightly coat the top before refrigerating. I used freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano that you can find by the deli section. You can grate yourself but sometimes I find the consistency of the pesto changes. I lightly toast the pine nuts to deepen their nutty flavor but you can skip this step too.