THE PESTO SAUCE OF ALL PESTO SAUCES
The Pesto Sauce of ALL Pesto Sauces
1 cup, 5 minutes
Ingredients:
4 cups, packed, fresh basil
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon (juice only)
Salt
Pepper
Optional: parmesan (can use vegan cheese as well!)
The Blistered Peppers Take:
Where do I begin with this topic? I LOVE pesto! I’ve loved it ever since I tried it as a kid. There’s a restaurant called Arnoldi’s in Santa Barbara and the backyard has a bocce ball court. When I was younger it was definitely one of our favorite places to go because we got to run around and play games while our parents drank wine and had “adult conversations.” Arnoldi’s had (and still has) a Linguini Pesto. But, being a kid, who didn’t understand that pasta shapes do in fact make a difference, I had to have Pesto with Bow Ties!!! (AKA Farfalle) I don’t remember exactly what I tasted or what my first reaction was, but I do know it was love at first bite and it was then that I fell in love with pesto. So, naturally, as I grew up and the kitchen became my second home, I knew I had to create my own spin on this traditional Italian specialty.
Historically, a pesto is made up of basil, garlic, pine nuts, a good extra virgin olive oil, and Parmigiano Reggiano. But, for me, I like to make the cheese optional and add in a squeeze of lemon giving the sauce an even brighter taste. The star of this recipe is basil so make sure you’re using GOOD quality, fresh basil. It should be bright green and have an intensely fresh scent. Sniff the basil like you do a flower (trust me - it’s worth it!) - if the smell is faint, move on to the next bunch.
Pesto is one of the most adaptable sauces out there. Pesto can be served over pasta. Mix pesto into your scrambled eggs - these will be the most moist and flavorful eggs you’ve ever had. Pesto stuffed veggies - yum! Marinate chicken with pesto. Spread it over your roast salmon. Whisk some pesto into your everyday balsamic vinaigrette. And just wait for my upcoming recipe, Pesto Loaded Puff Pastry… an absolute dream of a breakfast!
What I love most about this recipe is that you can double, triple, quadruple it and it will taste amazing regardless.
Hot tip: you can freeze leftover pesto in your ice cube tray, remove from the tray once frozen, store in a sealed container and keep in the freezer for SIX MONTHS!
Get blending below. Let me know what you add to it. Tag me in your photos, DM me with your feedback. Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Steps:
Make Pesto. Just kidding, sort of! You’re going to need a blender (or nutribullet) or food processor. Add all the ingredients into your blending vehicle of choice and mix until combined and the basil has broken down well. The sauce should be a little thicker and not super runny.
* If you’re adding in cheese, I recommend a 1/2 cup and cut into 1 inch chunks (or use a shredded/grated parmesan) before placing into your blender.
