Description
Vibrant homemade pesto in minutes. This recipe will make you wonder why you ever bought the jarred stuff.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups – fresh basil leaves, packed, stems removed
- 1/2 cup – freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
- 1/3 cup – pine nuts, raw or lightly toasted
- 3 medium – garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 cup – extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon – fine sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon – freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare your basil by washing and thoroughly drying the leaves. If blanching, briefly dip in boiling water for 5-10 seconds, then immediately transfer to ice water and dry completely.
- Place garlic cloves in food processor and pulse 2-3 times until coarsely chopped. Add pine nuts and pulse several more times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add basil leaves, salt, and pepper to the food processor. Pulse about 10-15 times, stopping to scrape down the sides, until the basil is broken down but still has some texture.
- Add the grated Parmesan cheese and pulse 2-3 times to incorporate.
- With the food processor running, slowly drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube in a steady stream. Process until desired consistency is reached, about 15-20 seconds.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt, pepper, garlic, or cheese to balance flavors.