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Homemade Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe

Try this Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe for an easy-to-make homemade pesto that is fresh, vibrant and green. It pairs perfectly with pasta, chicken, fish and salads. And what’s more, you can whip up a batch in under 15 minutes.
5 Mins 5 Mins Easy A lot

Ingredients

  • 300g fresh basil, just trim the very ends of the stalks off
  • 125g pine nuts
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  • 100g Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
  • 300ml extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Heat a small frying pan over a low heat and cook the pine nuts until golden, shaking occasionally.
  2. Add the basil and the nuts to a food processor and pulse several times – just enough to tear the basil leaves.
  3. Add the garlic and Parmigiano-Reggiano and pulse several times more. You might need to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula.
  4. Gradually pour in olive oil while the food processor is running slowly until you get a good consistency – not too runny, not too solid. You may not need all the oil.
  5. Stir in the seasoning, taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe

Recipe notes

  • Fresh Basil Pesto is best made to taste, so do keep adjusting this Fresh Basil Pesto recipe ingredients until you find ‘your’ taste.
  • You can substitute half of the basil with baby leaf spinach to mellow out the taste of the basil.
  • Even better use wild garlic if you can find some. It’s usually available in the late spring months. It has a lighter flavour than traditional bulb garlic.

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