If you’ve never made pesto at home, don’t be intimidated! It’s really easy and only takes a few minutes. I’ll walk you through the process step-by-step so you can see just how easy it is.
Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients needed to make a classic pesto Fresh basil leaves Pinenuts Garlic Parmesan cheese Olive oil substitute with extra virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to make basil pesto sauce
To a food processor, add fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, and garlic, and pulse for a few seconds just until fully chopped. (scrape the sides of the food processor from time to time for a more consistent result) Add olive oil, grated parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper and process until combined and emulsified. If the sauce is too thick, add a little bit of olive oil until the desired consistency is achieved.
Tips
Can I make pesto without a food processor
Yes, you can make it even if you don’t have a food processor. You can use a blender instead of a food processor, however, it will get a smoother consistency and a little runnier. Another alternative is the pestle and mortar, this is the traditional method however, it is not quick but it will guarantee a good (rustic) pesto consistency.
How to use pesto
Apart from adding it to pasta sauce or gnocchi dishes, there are many creative ways to use pesto Use leftover pesto to make salad dressing, pesto mayo, or pesto butter: these can be used as a sandwich or grilled cheese spread. Add it to dips and sauces Make tortellini pesto salad Use as a marinade and make pesto chicken, meatballs, or pesto flavored veggies Make pizza using pesto and mozzarella cheese as your topping Forget garlic bread and make some cheesy pesto bread instead. You can freeze pesto in an ice cube tray if you want, it will stay for up to 1 month if you added parmesan cheese and up to 3 months without the cheese.
How can I make pesto without pinenuts
Pine nuts contain nuts and may not be an option if you have a nut allergy. there are great substitutes for pinenuts when making pesto, the most common ones are almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, and even pistachios.
Can I make pesto without cheese
Yes, you can! If you want to keep this recipe vegan just substitute the Parmesan for nutritional yeast flakes, vegan parmesan cheese or simply leave it out.
Will dried basil work for this recipe
Unfortunately, the answer is no, it just wouldn’t taste the same, so try and get fresh basil for your pesto. If you don’t have much fresh basil or you find the aromatic flavors powering then you can use a combination of basil and fresh spinach leave.
Can I add lemon juice
Yes, you can add lemon juice or lime juice to pesto if you wish, just add it according to taste.
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Fry sauce Chinese curry sauce Creamy dill sauce for salmon Parsley sauce Easy stir fry sauce Lemon butter sauce Tartar sauce Homemade teriyaki sauce Bang bang sauce No-cook pizza sauce If you made this easy homemade aromatic condiment recipe, don’t forget to leave me feedback. Tag me @thedinnerbite on Instagram and save away to your Pinterest. Please subscribe to the blog if you haven’t for free new recipes in your inbox
