Pesto Recipes

JUICY PESTO PASTA!

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to the boil with the salt.
• Add pasta and cook for the length of time per the packet.
• Just before draining, scoop out 1 cup of of the pasta cooking water.
• Drain pasta in a colander, leave it for a minute.
• Transfer pasta to a bowl (do not use pasta cooking pot, too hot).
• Add pesto and 1/4 cup of pasta water. Toss to coat pasta in pesto, adding more water if required to make pasta silky and saucy, rather than dry and sticky.
• Taste, add more salt and pepper if desired.
• Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parmesan.

PESTO

Steps:

• Peel the garlic, then pound in a pestle and mortar with a pinch of sea salt.
• Pick, roughly chop and add the basil leaves, then bash to a paste (or pulse in a food processor).
• Add the pine nuts (very lightly toast first, if you like) to the mixture and pound again, then stir in half the Parmesan.
• Drizzle in some oil - you need just enough to bind the sauce and get it to an oozy consistency.
• Add most of the remaining cheese, then season to perfection with salt and black pepper. Have a taste, and keep adding a bit more cheese or oil until you are happy with the taste and consistency.
• Add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end to give it a little twang, if you like, but it's not essential.

THE BEST BASIC PESTO

Steps:

• Place the walnuts and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until coarsely chopped, about 10 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper and process until mixture resembles a paste, about 1 minute. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly blended. Add the Parmesan and process a minute more. Use pesto immediately or store in a tightly sealed jar or air-tight plastic container, covered with a thin layer of olive oil (this seals out the air and prevents the pesto from oxidizing, which would turn it an ugly brown color). It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Pesto can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 6 months. You can also divide your prepared pesto into the compartments of an ice cube tray and freeze. Once it's frozen, remove the pesto cubes from the tray and put in a sealable plastic bag or airtight container. You can add the defrosted pesto cubes to soups, pasta dishes, eggs, sandwiches, and potatoes.

BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper and pulse until well chopped.
• Add the basil and pulse until combined.
• With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until combined. Add the Parmesan cheese, if using, and pulse to briefly combine. For a smoother pesto, add more olive oil.

BASIC PESTO

Steps:

• Combine basil leaves, pine nuts or walnuts and garlic in a food processor and process until very finely minced.
• With the machine running slowly dribble in the oil and process until the mixture is smooth.
• Add the cheese and process very briefly, just long enough to combine. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.
• If freezing, transfer to an air-tight container and drizzle remaining oil over the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and stir in cheese.

BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Combine basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and olive oil in a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add garlic, pine nuts, salt, and pepper. Pulse until mixture becomes smooth and blended.
• Pour mixture onto a large sheet of plastic wrap; roll into a tube shape and seal. Store in the refrigerator until needed.

PESTO

Steps:

• Use the side of a chef's knife to mash garlic clove with kosher salt until garlic breaks down. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor with toasted pine nuts. Pulse until a paste forms. Add fresh basil leaves in two batches, pulsing until finely chopped. Add grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and grated Pecorino Romano; puree until combined. Transfer to a bowl; slowly whisk in extra-virgin olive oil. Season with salt. Store in an airtight container, covered with a thin layer of oil, for up to 2 days.
• In a food processor, combine toasted nuts, basil, Parmesan, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Process until finely chopped. With machine running, pour olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until smooth.

CLASSIC PESTO

Steps:

• Combine first 4 ingredients in blender. Blend until paste forms, stopping often to push down basil. Add both cheeses and salt; blend until smooth. Transfer to small bowl. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Top with 1/2 inch olive oil and chill.)

CLASSIC PESTO

Steps:

• Heat a small frying pan over a low heat. Cook the pine nuts until golden, shaking occasionally. Put into a food processor with the basil, parmesan, olive oil and garlic cloves. Whizz until smooth, then season to taste.

PESTO

Steps:

• In a food processor, puree all ingredients. Refrigerate for several weeks or freeze in a tightly covered container. Toss a few tablespoons pesto with hot cooked pasta.

BASIL PESTO RECIPE

Steps:

• Wash and dry the basil leaves.
• Place basil into a food processor, add cheese, nuts, garlic cloves, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth.
• Season with more salt to taste if desired.

HOMEMADE BASIL PESTO RECIPE

Steps:

• Quickly blanch the basil. Prepare a bowl of ice water and set aside near your stove. Fill a small saucepan halfway with water and bring to a boil. Drop the basil leaves in the boiling water and blanch for 5 to 10 seconds or until wilted. Using tongs, transfer the basil leaves to prepared ice water to stop cooking.
• Dry the basil very well. Pick up the basil leaves and wrap them in paper towel and squeeze to wring out all the water.
• Make the pesto. Place the basil, garlic, pine nuts, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. With the processor running, slowly pour the extra virgin olive oil. Do not run the processor too long, you want to have a little bit of texture to your basil pesto.
• Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Transfer the basil mixture to a small bowl. Add the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix to combine. If needed add a little bit more extra virgin olive oil to mix.
• Use immediately or store for later (see notes for storage).

PESTO

Steps:

• Combine basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and nuts in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend to a smooth paste. Add parsley if desired.

FRESH BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Season the pesto sauce: Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Toss with pasta for a quick sauce, dollop over baked potatoes, or spread onto crackers or toasted slices of bread.

PESTO

Steps:

• Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.