This Basil Pesto Recipe is super easy to make and uses basic ingredients. Make this no cook sauce in a blender or food processor & have a jarful handy to slather on your toast or toss it with some pasta.
What is Pesto
Pesto is a no cook Italian sauce recipe. Fresh basil leaves, garlic, nuts, parmesan cheese and olive oil are blend together to make an aromatic pesto. Traditionally, Italians use a mortar and pestle to break down these ingredients into a chunky sauce. However, I have used a blender to make this quick no cook basil pesto recipe.
Traditional pesto recipe use pine nuts, but I have added pistachios. Pistachio pesto is a very typical recipe of Sicilian cuisine due to the amazing quality of pistachios available there. I travelled to Sicily in 2019 and simply loved relishing all the delicious pistachio recipes. It was then I first tasted pistachio basil pesto. You can easily swap pistachios with nuts of your choice. I always have a jarful of pesto in my refrigerator, it makes a versatile condiment. Slather it on a toast, toss it with pasta, add it on pizzas or eggs….the possibilities are endless.
Ingredients to make Basil Pesto
Basil: Traditionally, Italians use classic Genovese Basil leaves to make a flavorful pesto. Genovese Basil is a must have herb in my summer garden. Genovese Basil has bigger dark green & shiny leaves, its more aromatic. I usually harvest and make a big batch of pesto to whip up quick & easy summer meals. Alternatively, you can use sweet basil in this recipe. Sweet Basil leaves are light green in color and easily availabe in the grocery store.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) : Make sure you are using good quality EVOO to make a pesto .I generally use Pompeian Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil to make a great tasting pesto. The oil should be mild, fruity & sightly peppery in flavor.
Pistachios: Traditional pesto recipe uses pine nuts but my family doesn’t really like pine nuts. I have used Kirkland Shelled Pistachios that are roasted and salted in this recipe. Alternatively, you can use pistachios in shells, it takes only a few minutes to pop them off the shell. Pistachios have a very mild and sweet taste that we prefer over pine nuts. You can also use cashews or walnuts in this recipe.
Garlic: Raw Garlic tastes strong pungent but a right amount of garlic cloves brings out tons of flavor to this pesto recipe. I generally add 3 medium sized garlic cloves for 4 cups of basil leaves.
Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan Cheese gives a delicious salty base and adds fruity & nutty flavor to this recipe. Alternatively, you can use Pecorino Romano Cheese in this recipe. If making a vegan version feel free to swap it with nutritional yeast. For the best results make sure to use hard, salty and aged cheese.
Salt & Pepper : Seasoning the pesto is the most important step as it amps up the flavor.
Water: Traditional pesto recipe doesn’t use water, however I like to add about 1/2 cup of water to keep the mixture blending and smooth. I personally don’t enjoy a chunky and oily pesto so addition of water just works perfectly well for me.
Tips on Making Pesto:
You can either make the pesto in a blender or a food processor.
Blender: I like to make my pesto in my Vitamix Blender. Here’s how I make it. Add olive oil, water, cheese, garlic, basil leaves, pistachio, salt & pepper in the Vitamix container. Place the lid and blend the indigents for 40 seconds increasing the variable speed from lowest to the highest. Alternatively you can use a food processor to make the pesto.
Food Processor: If you are making a pesto in a food processor, pulse dry ingredients together until well combined. Drizzle in olive oil and water while the food processor is still running. If need be feel free to scrape down the sides so that all the ingredients are evenly combined.
Variations:
Instead of basil you can arugula, mint, carrot tops, radish tops, kale, parsley, cilantro or spinach to make a delicious pesto.
Feel free to use nuts & seeds of your choice – cashews, pine nuts, walnuts, almonds. Pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds are some of the swaps for pistachios.
You can even add green chili or red chili flakes for a boost of flavor. Lime for some zest.
How to Store Basil Pesto:
Once the pesto is made transfer it into an airtight container or a jar. Make sure you add thin layer of olive oil which will help keep the pesto vibrant lush green color intact. You can store homemade pesto in the refrigerator for upto 7 days.
Freezing Pesto
I grow a lot of basil in my herb garden. I harvest and like making a big batch of homemade pesto. Certainly I cannot use up the whole batch all at once so I prefer freezing it. Here’s how I freeze pesto in a cube tray. Make the pesto as per the instructions in the recipe card. Simply pour the pesto into the ice cube tray and drizzle a little amount of oil over the top of each cube. Cover the ice cube tray with its lid. Freeze for a couple of hours (around 3-4 hours) until solid. Remove the frozen cubes from the tray and store them in a freezer friendly zip lock bag . Make sure you label each bag with date. You can freeze homemade basil pesto upto 3 months. Thaw the cubes of pesto as needed.
Here are more condiment recipes that you may like:
Raw Mango Relish | Kairicha Takku
