Pesto is associated with bright flavorful summer as basil is found in abundance this time of the year. I always use fresh basil from my own backyard. But, if I am ever short of it, I buy it from the farmer’s market.

What is Pesto?

Pesto is an aromatic green sauce traditionally made from fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil and parmigiano reggiano.

However, there are many other variations of pesto that can be made from different kinds of nuts and greens. I shall be sharing more types of pesto on this blog in future.

How to prepare the Basil leaves?

Take fresh basil leaves, cut the stems, wash thoroughly and it is ready to use. However, if you’re planning to freeze the pesto, I would recommend completely drying the basil leaves before using.

How to store Pesto?

Freshly made pesto can be refrigerated in an airtight container for upto 3 days. You can also freeze the pesto for upto 6 months in a freezer safe airtight container.

How to prevent pesto from turning brown?

Add an additional layer of olive oil on the top surface to prevent it from turning brown.

Also, whenever browning occurs, I simply stir it up before serving and add it to whatever I’m making. It might not look as pretty as the bright green but tastes the same.

If you’re keen on the bright green color, then I would recommend making it fresh and using it up right away.

How to use Pesto?

Pesto can be used in pasta, over pizza, in sandwiches, in salads, as a marination, etc.

For making pesto, I use my all time favorite Magic Bullet. (affiliate link)

You can connect with me on my page on Instagram.

Print Recipe

Classic Pesto

Summer without Pesto is incomplete. Yes, you can buy ready in a jar from the grocery store but there is nothing better than making your own. The store bought ones doesn’t even come close to homemade pesto when it comes to flavour.

Prep Time20

Total Time20

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: basil, dip, fresh, pasta, pesto, sauces, summer

Servings: 6

Author: Upasana Sampat

Equipment

Food Processor (link mentioned above in the blog)

Ingredients

¼ cup Pine nuts
⅓ cup Parmigiano Reggiano (grated)
4 cloves garlic (peeled)
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Black pepper powder
2 & 1/2 cup Basil leaves
⅓ cup Extra virgin Olive oil

Instructions

Roast ¼ cup of pine nuts on a pan over low heat and keep them aside to cool down.
In a food processor, add ¼ th cup of roasted pine nuts, ⅓ rd cup of grated parmigiano reggiano, 4 cloves of peeled garlic, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper powder and pulse them all together until finely ground.
Now add 2 and ½ cup of washed basil leaves and ⅓ rd cup of extra virgin olive oil and pulse them until all the ingredients are well combined and pesto sauce reaches the desired texture.
Classic Pesto is ready!

Notes

This recipe will yield a total of ¾ cup of Pesto.