Summer time brings all those fresh beautiful fragrant herbs and it is time to put them to good use. Just couple of days ago, we were buying some groceries and we ran into fresh basil. It looked beautifully glowing with healthy bright green leaves and it was just calling our name. It was packed in a wide clear container weighing about 100 grams. It was fairly inexpensive and in my estimation, was a sufficient amount for a two small 250 ml jars. Basil is very versatile herb used widely in Mediterranean cooking. It goes well as a garnish with many dishes, especially added to tomato sauces, salads and pizzas. Me, I like basil the best in the form of pesto. Its fragrant smell mixed with flavorful Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is the best.
As I made the first jar it didn’t last long; it was gone within a day. My older daughter was on it like it was the best thing ever. I just made a second jar.
This is a very simple recipe and takes only about 20 minutes or so to make. It is always a good idea to have some fresh bread around since it is hard to resist its incredible taste. Store bought pesto does not come even close to it.
Make sure you buy a fresh supply of healthy un-bruised basil. To preserve pesto’s beautiful fresh green color, I included a small amount of Italian parsley. Parsley will not have an impact on taste but since it contains ascorbic acid, it will mitigate enzymatic reactions in the basil leaves and prevent them from turning dark. This is providing you plan to consume the pesto within a day. For a longer duration, you will need to blanch the basil in simmering water for 20 seconds and then cool it in ice water for 5 seconds. Such pesto will remain bright green even after couple of weeks in the fridge.
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings |
250 ml jar
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- 50 g basil leaves
- 50 g pine nuts toasted
- 3 garlic cloves toasted and chopped
- 20 g Parmesan cheese freshly greated
- 6 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 0.5 tsp sea salt
- flat-leaf parsley small handful
Ingredients
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- Warm up the skillet over the medium heat and toast 3 unpeeled garlic cloves for 7-8 minutes, tossing and turning the cloves. Let them cool.
- Add 50 g (1/3 cup) of pine nuts to the warm skillet and roast for 1-2 minutes until they develop light brown color and release fragrance of their oils. Empty the skillet to a food processor.
- Peel the garlic cloves, cut finely and add to the processor.
- Add 50 g of basil leaves and handful of flat parsley leaves to the processor.
- Add 6 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil and 1/2 tsp of sea salt to the processor.
- Turn on the processor until the content is thoroughly chopped and mixed.
- Empty the processor into a clean 250 ml glass jar or cup, add 20 g of grated Parmesan cheese and mix until fully incorporated.
- Cover the jar with plastic wrap, pressing tight to the pesto surface to stifle oxidation. Store in the fridge.
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