The sun is back out! This always gets me craving fresh, healthy food and there's not much that beats a batch of homemade pesto.
This is one of my favourite things to make and a brilliant thing to have in your culinary arsenal - it's so simple and way better than the jars you buy in the supermarket. As soon as we're allowed dinner parties again, I can assure you that this is a crowd pleaser, which tastes more impressive than the skill required to make it! You can make a large batch of this and freeze for quick future dinners. It's also versatile - obviously amazing with fresh pasta, but equally delicious added on top of a salad or pizza, or the base of a pastry tart.
It's a straightforward process of whacking it all in a food processor and you're done! If you don't have a food processor (or blender of some kind) you can chop the basil leaves finely and grind in a pestle and mortar.
Some recipes call for a bit of garlic, but I prefer mine without. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE garlic, but I find it overwhelms the gorgeous basil. I prefer to incorporate garlic into the dish that I'll use the pesto in instead (think slow roasted with other veg and tossed through pesto pasta).
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 packs fresh basil (6 handfuls)
6 tbsp good quality virgin olive oil
50g pine nuts
50g parmesan
salt and pepper
Method
1. Combine the basil, oil, pine nuts and parmesan in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add more oil if you want a thinner consistency, then season to taste. That's it!
2. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze in an ice cube tray before transferring to a container in the freezer.
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