The Classic Pesto Recipe I've Been Making for Years
80kcal
Ingredients
- Pine nuts
- Grated hard Italian cheese
- Garlic
- Fresh basil leaves
- Olive oil
- A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Method
- Toast the pine nuts to deepen their nutty flavor. Place the pine nuts in a dry skillet or frying pan over medium-high, and cook for a few minutes or until you can smell their toasted aroma, shaking the pan or stirring as they cook. Be sure to keep a watchful eye. I've burned more nuts than I can count because these babies turn from lightly toasted to burned in just a few seconds. Immediately remove the nuts from the hot pan into a bowl or plate so they don't continue to toast.
- Blend the nuts, cheese, and garlic into a paste. Add the toasted pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and garlic to the bowl of the food processor and process until finely minced.
- For bright green pesto, add the basil AFTER processing the nuts and garlic. Similar to chopping basil with a dull knife, overworking the basil in the processor or in a blender will turn it dark where it was cut.
- Stream in the olive oil. While the processor is still running, slowly drizzle the olive oil through the chute. Season with kosher salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Nutrition
Calories 80kcal | Carbohydrates 2g | Protein 2g | Fat 7g | Saturated Fat 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat 1g | Monounsaturated Fat 3g | Sodium 120mg | Potassium 30mg | Fiber 1g | Vitamin C 5mg | Calcium 2mg | Iron 2mg
Nutrition info is automatically calculated as an estimate — actual values may vary. Always check your ingredient labels for the most accurate results!
Notes
Ways to Use It
Of course, you can eat pasta with pesto, but why stop there? Pesto is a fab alternative to mayo, mustard, or even sour cream, and it's delicious mixed into mashed potatoes or eggs. Here are a few ideas to sub in for a tastier, herbaceous bite.
- Toss with al dente pasta, herbs, and veggies for a refreshing pesto pasta salad
- Add it to your favorite chicken dishes, like caprese chicken and pesto chicken
- Ditch the mayo and make a pesto potato salad instead
- Add instant flavor to shrimp or chicken and serve over a bed of greens for a killer pesto arugula salad
- Add pesto to scrambled eggs
- Dollop on a baked potato instead of butter
- Use as a spread instead of mayo for a turkey sandwich
- Make it a savory addition to your morning omelet or slather it on avocado toast
- Mix with tuna for a Mediterranean-style salad on greens
- Plop into a creamy tomato soup with chunks of mozzarella cheese for a slurpy caprese soup
- Toss into white rice for an herbed version that's way better than what comes from the box