Description
A simple Basil pesto recipe to add a burst of summertime flavor to your dishes. This recipe can be made in minutes and reminds me of the South of France.
Ingredients
- 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced in half
- 4 Cups of fresh Basil leaves (washed, dried and removed from the stalk – drying is an important step here – you don’t want watered down pesto!)
- 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ of a cup of pine nuts
- 1 cup of fresh shaved parmesan (you can use the desiccated kind if you are in a pinch, but fresh parmesan cheese tastes so much better!)
- Pinch of salt and pepper (the parmesan is salty enough – you don’t need to add much more salt)
Instructions
Pulse the garlic a few times in the food processor. Add half the basil and half the olive oil. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the remaining basil, olive oil, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, salt & pepper. Blend until everything is well chopped an all the ingredients are nicely integrated. Your pesto should be a bright green color.
Voila! It is that simple. Transfer immediately to a jar and store in the fridge.
Notes
Le Chef’s Wife Tip: Treat your pesto like a sourdough starter and keep feeding it – it will last much longer. I add olive oil to my pesto jar after every serving and it stretches out the life and the enjoyment of your pesto. This recipe is quite concentrated so you can really get many more helpings by stretching it out…A necessary thing when your husband eats pesto at an impressive rate!
Check out my Salade Nicois and Soupe au Pistou recipes for authentic French Riviera flavors. Pesto is also a great to slather on a Fresh baked baguette for a delicious open face sandwich with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.