Description
A classic recipe for basil pesto, a vibrant green sauce made with fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Wash and dry the basil leaves thoroughly.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over low heat until lightly golden.
- Combine basil, pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
- Add Parmesan cheese and continue pulsing.
- With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until smooth.
- Season with salt and pepper. Adjust to taste.
Notes
- Store pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freeze extra pesto in ice cube trays for longer storage.
- Substitute walnuts or almonds if pine nuts are unavailable.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 1g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
Keywords: basil pesto, homemade pesto, Italian sauce