The best and easiest pesto recipe is below! Who doesn’t love pesto?
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Pesto is one of my favorite pizzas on the planet, its absolutely delicious on pasta and a great spread on some fresh bruschetta. More on that another time!
What you need
Pesto can be made from the fresh basil in your garden or from the grocery store. Just remember it takes quite a bit. If you plan to make this often, you might want to think about making sure it’s a garden staple so you have it when you want it. Grocery stores where I live have a hard time carrying big quantities and it is rewarding to grow and pick it yourself for a delectable dinner.
I make mine in a blender. Super simple and quick. The whole process takes about 10 minutes. The most time consuming part is taking the basil leaves off the stems.
Traditionally the other main ingredient is pine nuts. This is what I use because I like the flavor of them. I’ve heard other people use walnuts as well but I have yet to try it. Although I might soon, the cost of pine nuts is crazy! I would advise buying them in bulk from Costco. It is more money up front but it is half the price per ounce.
Other things you will need is a high quality organic olive oil, parmegiano reggiano, salt and pepper.
It’s really that simple
You can use a food processor or a blender. It’s really that simple. Using high quality ingredients is important not only for flavor but for your health.
Extra Virgin Olive oil comes with a variety of health benefits including being anti-inflammatory, anti cancer and has lots of anti oxidants. Including it in your every day life can help with living a balanced lifestyle. You don’t need anymore to sell me on it.
How to use it
Well the most typical way people use pesto is pasta but there are so many other different ways to use it. My husbands favorite way is actually putting it right on top of his chicken. It really is delicious. To use it that way, make it just a little bit thicker (Use less olive oil) and it stays right on top of the chicken perfectly. There is also using it as a pizza sauce or on top of a crispy slice of sourdough as an appetizer.
Pesto Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Basil Leaves
- ½ Cup Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Organic if you can)
- ½ Cup Pine Nuts
- ½ Cup Parmegiano Reggiano
- ½ Tsp Salt
- ½ Tsp Pepper
Instructions
- Pick the Basil leaves from the stems.
- Add all ingredients to blender or food processor.
- Blend to desired consistency and use!
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