Two Minute Classic Pesto Recipe
Start this classic pesto recipe with a food processor and end by mixing in two special ingredients by hand. Don't have a food processor? You can still learn how to make a fresh, classic pesto recipe of your dreams. Plus—learn tips for freezing pesto and how to keep it from turning black.
Servings 1 cup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups basil leaves stems removed
- 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 cloves garlic peeled, whole
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 Tablespoons pine nuts I buy them toasted from Trader Joe's
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2-3 T softened butter
- ½ cup Romano cheese grated
- 1 Tablespoon parmesan cheese grated, optional
Instructions
- Place the basil, salt, pepper, whole cloves of garlic and pine nuts in the medium sized bowl of a food processor or mini prep. Pulse about 5-7 times to chop the basil and garlic. Then, turn the machine on and pour the oil in slowly through the feed tube at the top. Stop when you have a thick sauce, about 30 seconds or so.3 cups basil leaves, 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt, 3 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 3 Tablespoons pine nuts , ½ cup olive oil
- Remove the pesto to a medium bowl and add in butter and parmesan cheese. Use a bar muddler to press the cheese(s) and butter into the pesto. This should be really easy especially if the butter is softened as noted above.2-3 T softened butter, ½ cup Romano cheese
- Toss with hot pasta. Add pasta water as needed to make a thinner sauce as desired. Serve with parmesan.
Notes
Storage Suggestions and Tips
- Refrigerate in an airtight container with a lid for up to 4 days.
- Freeze small portions in ice cube trays (Souper Cubes are awesome too!) so you can have pesto all year long.
- Defrost in the fridge or at room temperature and stir to blend before using.
- Use roasted and salted sunflower seeds in place of pine nuts. Pistachios or walnuts make great pesto as well!
- Other herbs or green to use in pesto are spinach, kale (stems removed) and arugula.
- Never heat pesto directly on the stove. Heat isn't pesto's friend. Toss cold or room temperature fresh pesto with hot pasta.
- Limit pesto's exposure to air by either using immediately or storing covered in an airtight container.
- Press a layer of plastic wrap directly on top of pesto before covering with an airtight, hard lid.
- Freeze as soon as possible if freezing is your intention.
