Simple Basil Pesto
Recipe by Marnie Nitschke, Accredited Practicing Dietitian at Fork That Nutrition & Cockatoo Grove Ambassador.
Who doesn’t LOVE home made pesto? Give me their name so I can plan the intervention!
Honestly though, in my many years of feeding humans, my experience is that the the pesto-adverse have usually been put off by the insipid supermarket jar version. And when presented with a fresh, home made batch, they are forever won over.
Pesto isn’t just delicious. It’s also an amazing source of monounsaturated fats and antioxidants that care for your heart.
Just look at the glorious green pigments, and you can imagine why a good pesto is a tasty glow-up in a jar.
TIP: A drizzle of oil over the top before storing can help reduce browning on the top. Lemon juice also helps to keep it nice and vibrant green. But what will you do with the pesto?
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Make a super simple pasta with pesto, broccoli, cherry tomatoes and some grilled pancetta crumbled on top
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Dollop pesto on the top of a minestrone or vegetable soup
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Use pesto on a pizza base with veggie toppings and bocconcini cheese
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Spread pesto on sourdough toast, and top with fresh sliced tomato or a poached egg
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Use pesto as a dip, or add a small bowl to a cheese board for a pretty pop of colour
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Add pesto to scrambled eggs, savoury corn and cheese muffins or meatballs.
INGREDIENTS
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 3 large handfuls fresh basil (one really big bunch)
- 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Signature is perfect for this)
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Plenty of cracked pepper
- 1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic, chopped
- A good squeeze of lemon juice
METHOD
- Toast nuts until just golden - this will take a few minutes, sitrring over medium heat in a dry frying pan (watch them like a hawk!).
- Pick basil leaves, rinse under running water and spin dry thoroughly.
- Next put basil, cheese, pine nuts, olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic in the blender, and pulse until desired consistency is reached (stopping a few times to scrape the sides and ensure everything is mixing).
- Squeeze lemon juice and process again.
- Taste and adjust seasoning and consistency with more salt / oil if needed (I add a good few squeezes of lemon here).
- Serve, or store in an airtight container, with a thin layer of oil on top, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
