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–+ servings
Pesto ingredients in a food processor

Delicious Homemade Basil Pesto Recipe

This homemade basil pesto recipe is much better than anything you will ever get in a jar. With just a few simple ingredients you can make one of the most delicious and versatile pesto sauces.
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Prep Time 7 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • food processor or blender
  • salad spinner

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 2 cups fresh basil
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 4 Tbs pine nuts
  • 1 pinch salt to taste
  • 1 pinch pepper to sasted
  • 1 pinch crushed red pepper optional to taste
  • ½ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • Wash and dry basil
  • Place all ingredients except the oil into a food processor and blend until smooth
  • Add oil and process until incorporated. Do Not over process or your pesto will be bitter.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Notes

5 TIPS FOR BETTER-TASTING PESTO:

  • Use quality ingredients
  • Don’t use HUGE basil leaves – they tend to taste bitter
  • Make sure your basil plant hasn’t gone to seed – It will be bitter and ruin your pesto.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste
  • Add a pinch of crushed red pepper
 

FREEZING PESTO

  • One of the best things about pesto is that it freezes beautifully. Each year I plant over 40 basil plants in my garden. So, I get a huge amount of basil.
  • Each week when I harvest my basil, I make a double or triple batch of pesto and freeze at least half of it. Then we have a freezer full of pesto to get us through the winter.
  • When you are freezing pesto, make sure to cover the top of the pesto with olive oil to protect the pesto from freezer burn.
  • I use a silicone ice cube tray to freeze my pesto. Then pop them out and place them in a quart-sized ziptop freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
 
Keyword pesto, pesto sauce
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