Pesto is a classic Italian sauce made with basil, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and usually pine nuts and grated cheese. My version uses walnuts in place of the pine nuts because they are easier to find and less expensive. I also make the cheese optional because I sometimes use pesto in dishes that already have cheese - like pizza, sandwiches, or caprese salad.
I call it "presto" pesto because my method, using the immersion blender, is fast and allows you to blend and store your pesto in the same jar.
Recipe:
1/4 cup walnut pieces toasted
2 cups packed basil leaves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1-2 whole cloves of garlic
Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
Salt and Pepper to tasted
1/4 cup grated parmesan (optional)
Add basil, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic to food processor or blender jar (or use handheld immersion blender and mason jar like I do in the video.) Process until it looks like a paste. Add walnuts and process again until nuts are completely ground. Stir in salt and pepper and cheese if using. Cover and refrigerate.
If you are not using the pesto the same day pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top before refrigerating. To freeze spoon small portion of pesto into ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop out the cubes and transfer them to a freezer bag or container for longer storage.
You can use pesto as a sauce for hot or cold pasta dishes, as a pizza sauce, to flavor soups, or as a spread for sandwiches.
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