My Favorite Easy Pesto
Homemade pesto is one of my favorite things to keep around my apartment. It’s quick and easy to make and can be used in a variety of dishes. Besides adding it to pasta, I love the flavor of pesto with steak, on baked vegetables, and on my eggs to list a few ideas. I have even replaced the Parmesan with vegan options such as those made by Violife or Go Veggie! and create a 100% vegan pesto that worked as a great substitute.
While you can always go with a store-bought pesto, especially since pesto has a short growing season, I love the flexibility of being able to tweak my ingredients to make the perfect pesto to my taste. And with hydroponic growing methods, such as those offered by AeroGarden, I have even been able to grow a seemingly never-ending supply basil in my small New York apartment year-round.
For those growing basil in their garden there are also a number of great ways to preserve basil for later use. I absolutely love this post on basil from The Spruce Eats blog. It includes directions and a video on 4 Ways To Preserve Basil using blanching, oil, salt and butter to make your basil even more versatile.
Pesto Ingredients
- 2 Cups Basil Leaves
- 1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese
- 1/4 Cup Pine Nuts
- 3 Cloves Garlic
- 4-5 Tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions
Add basil, parmesan, pine nuts and garlic to a food processor (alternatively mince all ingredients together). Pulse food processor adding in olive oil as combination mixes. I will usually remove the lid half way through to scrape the sides and taste to see if I prefer to add any more basil, pine nuts, cheese or garlic. This is also when I add my salt and pepper to the mixture. Return to blending and adding olive oil. This process should take no longer than a minute. Once the consistency looks good give it one more taste and it’s ready to add to your favorite dish!
