Pesto
Ingredients to make Pesto
One of my all time favorite dishes is Pesto with chicken and broccoli over pasta! And it is so simple to make if you have the ingredients. Of course the most expensive is the Pine nuts aka Pignoli nuts and around here they are $20 a pound so for this recipe here I opted to use Walnuts as a fill in for the first time in over 20 years. I felt like I was cheating but the end result wasn't much different and for a fraction of the cost! So here you are - my Pesto recipe!
INGREDIENTS
3 cups packed Fresh Basil Leaves
3/4 cup Olive oil
6 Cloves Garlic
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 Cup Pignoli or Walnuts
Salt and Pepper to taste
INGREDIENTS
3 cups packed Fresh Basil Leaves
3/4 cup Olive oil
6 Cloves Garlic
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 Cup Pignoli or Walnuts
Salt and Pepper to taste
Step 1 - Prepping the basil and Garlic
Basil washed and destemmed
Even my own basil I wash and spin a few times to make sure I get all the dirt and bugs off. Then it is a matter of removing all the leaves from the stems as you only want the leaves for this recipe. I use my 4 cup measure and stuff the leaves in until I reach my 3 cup mark. I then peel the 6 + cloves of garlic I intend to use. If the cloves are on the small side I may opt to add a few more - I love garlic!
Step 2 - Time to Mix
Blender Pesto - so easy!
This recipe works great in a blender or food processor. I always used my processor in the past, but now that I have a blender I thought I would give it a try. I start out with 1/2 cup of the olive oil, the garlic and about a cup of the basil leaves and pulse the blender. As this chops and blends I continue to add more basil. If it gets too thick I add a bit more oil. Then I add the remaining oil, 1/4 cup Parm cheese, nuts, salt, pepper and any remaining basil. Blend until all chopped and blended. I did realize that my food processor does not whip the pesto which is what happened in the blender. It still tastes great but the consistency is like a pea soup. I think I may end up going back to my processor from now on. ?? Use the remaining Parm any time you want either in the actual pesto itself or sprinkle on top right before serving.
Step 3 - Heat and Eat!
Jar of pesto
That is it! You now have your very own Pesto to use on pastas, fish, chicken, sandwiches or whatever your heart desires. No cooking is required to use on sandwiches. This yields about 2 to 3 cups of Pesto. I use about 1/2 and then freeze the rest for a later meal. Last night we enjoyed the pesto with broccoli fresh from the garden, some cubed breast of chicken served over fettuccine. Added a side salad and some bread sticks... perfecto!