ChatterBank1 min ago
recipe for pesto
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fresh basil leaves
pine nuts
olive oil
parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
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Basil / pine nut, garlic, salt / pepper, little parmesan cheese and good olive oil blended to a paste - blitz the cheese, basil (lots of it) s & p and garlic first for 15 secs, then the nuts added and another 10 secs. Don't aim for a puree - keep the texture. Can be kept in a (sterilised) jar with a surface topping of oil to 'seal' and this will store for about a week.
Try with something other than green basil - red basil; add some sun dreied tomatoes; use spinach leaves; try with coriander; chili; use some toasted sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds, add walnuts, onion, Pecorino cheese.
a pesto is a suace - not just a green paste, so try some of the others. To get a slightly more healthy option, reduce the amoiunt of oil but it is still needed to keep the emulsion - and it does give a flavour as well of course.
If you still get bored, 700+ here to try: pesto inc one with cocoa and tomato . . .
Oh, and never, ever eat mass produced pesto from a jar - some brands use potato, cashew nuts, DRIED basil(!) and all sorts of rubbish in their 'traditional' (pah!) pesto. Oh, and if you're really serious about it - homegrown basil - can't beat the flavour!