Homemade Pesto Recipe

There’s nothing that adds a real Italian flavor to all of your favorite dishes like a pesto recipe. Jarred pesto is okay, store bought can be good, but there is nothing like fresh, homemade pesto. You can make savory pesto from basil that you pick up from a grocery store. The best stuff will come from fresh picked basil you grew in your herb garden or on a sunny windowsill. Basil is a hardy plant that even people who have a brown thumb can grow. The plant can become so profuse in production, you may wonder what you’ll do with all of your pesto. Got too much? Give it as gifts to your Italian food loving friends.

The basic pesto recipe calls for a handful of fresh basil leaves crushed or pulverized with a little garlic and oil. While you can find many recipes for pesto, the following is one of the best. You may modify it to fit your tastes. The recipe calls for pine nuts, though you may substitute any nut in their place, some people like walnuts, cashews, or almonds. The different varieties of basil will give different tastes, some subtle, some drastic. A pineapple basil will smell wonderful, yet it will give an odd taste on Italian dishes using red sauces. Chocolate mint basil would make an interesting addition to a pesto garnishing Italian ices.

You will need:

1 large handful fresh basil (3 to 4 ounces)

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (try grating your own)

1/4 cup nuts

1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 garlic clove, crushed or minced

dash of salt

Place all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender. Blend on high (liquefy or puree), until everything is pureed and all ingredients are integrated. Place the finished pesto recipe into a tightly sealed container. For the best taste, allow the flavors to mingle for a few hours before using, storing overnight is optimum and will intensify the flavor even more. This pesto will keep for a week in the refrigerator if sealed. It freezes well and is wonderful when used to create a compound butter. It is only one of the many varieties of pesto.

For the very best flavor in your pesto recipe, there are many pesto tips, such as using only the freshest ingredients. If you must purchase all of the ingredients from a store, try to buy local or organic. You can taste the difference, especially if you buy from one of your local farmer’s market. Mmm, tasty!