Skip to content
RCI-SC.005.0012.001

Basil Pesto by Jefreywith1f

Submitted by Jefreywith1f Uploaded by Schpyder This is extremely easy to make if you own a blender. It's rather inexpensive to make, but pinenuts are sort of spendy.

Prep15 min
Cook30 min
Total45 min
Servings4
Difficultyintermediate

Ingredients

  • of Extra Virgin Olive Oil - any kind you want. (Pilippo Berio is cheap and great for cooking)
    1/2 Cup
  • pinenuts
    1/2 cup
  • Juice from 1/2 a lemon
    1 unit
  • one package of fresh basil (or about two nice handfuls)
    1 unit
  • of shredded Parmesean
    1/2 cup
  • grinds of black pepper (depends how much you like pepper)
    10-20 unit
  • about 5 grinds of salt or a few pinches
    1 unit

Method

1
Rinse the fresh basil thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen cloth, ensuring no excess moisture remains.
2
Remove the basil leaves from the stems and discard the stems.
3
Toast the pinenuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant and lightly golden, then set aside to cool slightly.
3 minutes
4
Place the toasted pinenuts into a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
5
Add the basil leaves to the food processor and pulse until roughly broken down, scraping the sides as needed.
6
Add the shredded Parmesan cheese and pulse to combine with the basil and pinenuts.
7
With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil until the mixture reaches a paste-like consistency, pulsing as needed to incorporate.
8
Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the lemon juice, salt, and black pepper to taste.
9
Adjust seasoning if necessary, adding more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as desired, then serve immediately or store in an airtight container.