Easy Homemade Pesto
Five simple ingredients and a food processor are all you need to bring the joy of fresh, homemade pesto into your life. I find it hard to get through the whole winter without a serving of pesto at least once a fortnight, so I take advantage of the surplus basil at this time of year to make as much as possible and store it in the freezer.
Ingredients
1 tightly packed cup of basil leaves
3 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese or vegan alternative. Nutritional yeast flakes also work, but you might need add a bit more oil or a touch of water to loosen it up
1 Tbsp lemon juice (optional)
Method
To make the pesto, combine basil, garlic, pine nuts, optional lemon juice and Parmesan in a food processor. With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste
Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. It can also be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Tips
The lemon juice is an optional extra purely to stop oxidation and keep the bright, fresh, green color for a bit longer. If you don’t like the slight zing that it adds, then leave it out, but the pesto will turn a dark, brownish green much more quickly.
It’s really easy to overdo the salt in this recipe. Start with no more than a 1/4 teaspoon and then go up from there in small pinches to taste.
Use a food processor and not a blender if possible. The blender will tend to cut everything up too small and since basil is a tender herb it will damage it’s flavor.
The cheese is not totally essential, so if you want a vegan option and don’t like using fake cheese, then just leave it out.
I like to toast the pine nuts for a deeper, richer flavor. Just put them in a dry frying pan on a medium heat for two or three minutes, stirring frequently until they start to turn a golden brown color.