Photo courtesy of Joanne DiBona
It’s summertime, and the livin’ is easy!
It’s also when fresh produce, either grown in your garden or found at the local farmers market, is at its peak. One of the best (and easiest to grow) herbs is basil, which just so happens to be the base ingredient of pesto sauce. Pesto is easy to make, delicious, and great not only on pasta, but also drizzled on grilled fish, meat, and vegetables.
You might not realize just how easy it is to make your own pesto. Here’s a simple, three-step recipe that will have you eating fresh, homemade pesto in under 10 minutes.
Photo courtesy of Tony DiBona
Let’s get started with our ingredients
The first step is to line up your ingredients. You will need 3 cups of fresh basil leaves, washed and dried thoroughly, as well as 3 cloves (or more) of garlic, depending on your taste. Add to that list 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, 1/3 cup of pine nuts (toasted and cooled), 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil (splurge on the good stuff as it makes all the difference), and black pepper and kosher salt to taste.
Photo courtesy of Tony DiBona
Consider these additions
For a little more depth of flavor, consider adding fresh lemon juice to your pesto – it will also brighten your pesto’s color. While the recipe thus far is vegan, there’s also the option of adding around 1/3 cup of fresh heavy cream for a more velvety version.
There are many ways of customizing your pesto, like adding fresh arugula, spinach, or other leafy vegetables in addition to basil. Or how about a jalapeno for some added spice?
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Photo courtesy of Tony DiBona
Pack it all into a blender
Now comes the easy part. Pack the basil leaves, garlic, cheese, pine nuts, salt, pepper, and olive oil into a blender. Back in the Old Country, cooks traditionally used a mortar and pestle to crush and blend the pesto. While this method is still used today by pesto devotees, a blender does an excellent job of creating a smooth consistency – and in a fraction of the time!
Photo courtesy of Tony DiBona
Start blending
All the ingredients you have chosen to use in your pesto should be packed into the blender. Press the “start” button and pesto presto! It’s pretty cool to watch your ingredients turn into pesto in a matter of seconds.
Photo courtesy of skarau / Getty Images
Buon appetito!
We hope this quick and easy recipe inspires your next meal. Another handy tip: leftover pesto can be frozen in an ice cube tray and popped out to quickly add flavor to soups, rice, or to melt over hot pasta or crusty bread.
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