Easy Homemade Pesto
You need just seven ingredients and a blender or food processor to make this easy homemade pesto at home. It's so simple and delicious that you'll never want to eat store-bought again!
Servings: 1 cup
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups packed fresh basil stems removed, 50 g
- ¼ cup pine nuts* 20 g
- ½ cup fresh grated parmesan 50 g
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp each salt and pepper
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 120 mL
Instructions
- Blitz: Place basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor and blend until evenly mixed and finely ground. With a spoon or spatula, scrape down the sides to ensure everything is nice and mixed.
- Pour: With food processor running, slowly pour in the oil.
Notes
*Add toasty flavor by toasting pine nuts in a skillet until golden brown.
To store pesto, transfer to a clean container and top with a bit of olive oil. Cover and place in fridge for up to a week.
You can make pesto with just about any leafy green you have on hand. The formula is simple: greens + nuts + olive oil + garlic + cheese. Once you know the ratio, you can swap ingredients based on what’s in your fridge.
- Carrot Greens Pesto: 2 cups carrot top leaves + ¼ cup pine nuts
- Watercress Pesto: 2 cups watercress + ¼ cup walnuts + 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- Spinach Pesto: 2 cups spinach + ¼ cup almonds
Nutrition
Serving: 1Tbsp | Calories: 68kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.4g | Protein: 1.3g | Fat: 7.3g | Saturated Fat: 1.4g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0g | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 0mg
