Traditional Italian Basil Pesto

Fresh pesto is like gold; combine fresh basil with olive oil, pine nuts and seasonings for the perfect Italian version that is fantastic on pasta and veggies.

Course Vegetables

Cuisine Italian

Keyword basil, pesto, pine nuts

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings Servings

Calories 90kcal

Author Barb

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves tightly packed
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts toasted
2 cloves garlic plain or roasted, chopped fine before putting in the processor
½ fresh lemon juiced
⅛ teaspoon salt more to taste when finished if necessary
4 tablespoons butter softened to room temperature
½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
2 tablespoons Romano cheese freshly grated

Instructions

Briefly soak and wash the basil in cold water, and gently pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels.
Put the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, chopped garlic, lemon juice, and salt in the processor bowl, and process to a uniform consistency; I like mine to be just a bit chunky, not completely smooth.
Add the softened butter and whirl in just until combined.
Transfer to a bowl, and mix in the two grated cheeses by hand; this results in a nice texture; better than blending with everything in step two.
Store in the fridge.

Notes

If using for pasta, dilute it slightly with a tablespoon or two of the hot water in which the pasta was cooked.
Freezing pesto: Make the sauce through the additional of the salt, cover with a layer of olive oil and freeze it without cheese and butter in it. To finish, thaw the pesto and then add the cheese and butter just before serving.

Nutrition