I love pesto – it´s great on bread or pasta and is such a quick-fix when it comes to making lunch or dinner. Whilst shop-bought pesto tastes fine and is a convenient option, I much prefer the taste of homemade pesto. So, when I have a little extra time on my hands, I like to make this vibrant Green Basil Pesto with Pine Nuts.
Equipment and Ingredients for Homemade Basil Pesto
This homemade green basil pesto is very easy to make. All you need is a food processor and a few basic ingredients.
Of course, you will need some fresh basil. As soon as the basil hits the blender it disappears into nothing, so you really need a decent amount (about 2-3 pots). If you think you have way to much basil, that probably means you have just enough! 😉
Other key ingredients for pesto are parmesan cheese, garlic and olive oil. The final ingredient that adds that certain je-ne-sais-quoi and a little crunch to this basil pesto is pine nuts. If you have time, it´s definitely worth toasting them in a pan for a few minutes to really bring out the flavour. I love toasted pine nuts – half the amount I make for this pesto is normally eaten by the time they make it into the food processor… Whoops!
How To Keep Your Basil Pesto Fresh
The recipe yields enough green basil pesto to fill a large jar. If you go through a lot of pesto, you might want to double the recipe. It takes a little time and effort to make homemade pesto, so you might was well make a little more whilst you´re at it.
The homemade basil pesto will keep for a few weeks in the fridge. To avoid any mould forming around the top edges, pack the pesto down firmly, clean the sides of the jar with kitchen towel and drizzle some olive oil on top after using.
Some Yummy Recipe Ideas For You!
Pesto is great for mixing into pasta for a quick lunch or dinner. If you want to take it to the next level, why not try adding some chopped tomatoes and a little crumbled feta cheese on top, too? Check out the recipe here!
Or use your homemade pesto to make this Creamy Pesto and Chicken Pasta dish!
I also like using this homemade green pesto to make Pesto Baguettes with Tomato and Mozzarella for lunch, or using it as a filling/flavouring in homemade bread, for example, this Pesto Star Bread! Yum!
For a variation on this green pesto, why not also give my Sundried Tomato and Rosemary Pesto a try and enjoy in this Red Pesto Spaghetti recipe for lunch.
More Great Recipes
For more dips, sauces and quick and easy lunch recipes, check out some of the posts down below:
- Homemade Hummus
- Pesto Star Bread | Tear-and-share Loaf
- Sundried Tomato, Rosemary and Cashew Nut Pesto
- Pizza Baguette
- Red Lentil Soup
- Spaghetti with Sundried Tomato Pesto and Feta Cheese
- Creamy Hummus Linguine
- Quick Wrap Pizza
- Grandma´s Thick Vegetable Soup
- Colourful Quinoa Salad
Green Basil Pesto with Pine Nuts
Recipe
Ingredients (for 1 jar):
- 2-3 pots of basil (leaves and stalks)
- 20g parmesan cheese, grated
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 20g pine nuts, toasted
- 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to season
Method:
- Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat, then add in the pine nuts (no oil needed) to toast for 2-3 minutes. Move the pine nuts around and watch them like a hawk as they can turn from nicely toasted to burnt. Take off the heat and leave to cool slightly whilst you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Cut the basil off by its stalks (if you are using potted basil), wash and pat dry. Roughly rip the basil up and add it to the food processor (use both the leaves and the stalks). Then add all of the remaining ingredients except the oil and pulse.
- Once the mixture starts to come together in a paste, gradually add a little olive oil at a time, pulsing well between each addition, until the pesto reaches the right consistency (I find 1-2 tbsp of oil do the trick, depending on how much basil you have used).
- Season the pesto to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the pesto to a jar. If you are not using it immediately, pack it down tightly, then wipe around the sides at the top of the jar to clean. Drizzle a little olive oil over the surface to keep the pesto fresh and store in the fridge until needed.
