I am a big basil lover and what’s not to love in pesto? It’s a fragrant and flavoursome mix of fresh basil, garlic, nuts and parmesan. There’s no inspiration behind this recipe as such, just some learnings from various cooking shows and a lot of experience eating out. Basil Pesto is so versatile, you can have it with pasta, pizza and even as a bread spread or dip.
Ingredients
- 100 Gms Fresh Basil Leaves (or 50gms Basil + 50gms Baby Spinach)
- 50 Gms or 7-8 Garlic Cloves
- 5-6 Walnuts (or any nuts)
- 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese (or any cheese) (Nutoras)
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil (or sesame oil) (Figaro)
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
Preparation
Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes
- If using a mortar-pestle – Add the basil leaves and garlic and hand grind them until coarse.
- Then add the nuts and crush them into the basil-garlic mix.
- Grate parmesan cheese and add salt into the mix. Stir well.
- Slowly add olive oil in a slow stream and keep grinding in the mortar, scraping the edges as well.
- Pesto is ready to use immediately or store.
- If using a food processor – In a food processor, add basil leaves, garlic and nuts. Blend them until coarse.
- Next, add the cheese and salt to the processor and pulse the mix until well combined.
- Pulse the processor while adding olive oil in slow stream form. Occasionally, pause the processor and scrape the edges if needed.
- Pesto is ready to use or store.
- If storing in the fridge, keep it in a container and add ½ cup olive oil for preservation. Cover the top of the pesto with a plastic wrap or foil to reduce moisture content. You can store it for about a week.
