I think I’ve developed a minor obsession with basil. In the past month I’ve made blueberry basil lemonade and basil Thai chicken – and now pesto. I know that you can buy pesto from the store, but this isn’t a blog about things you can buy – it’s a blog about cooking. And pesto is so easy to make! Most importantly, as with anything you cook, you can make it appeal to your personal tastes.
One of the reason I like pesto is because pasta is my favorite food to eat and pesto is a nice alternative from regular tomato sauce. It’s also green so you know you’re sneaking in a bit of vegetables into a bowl full of high-carb spaghetti. I also love pesto because it’s got such a strong sharp flavor.
Yes, I admit pesto leads to bad bread central with all that uncooked garlic but I don’t care. Eat pesto with someone you love who won’t judge you for garlic breath. And on that note, eat pesto with someone who will tell you if you have green bits in your teeth. Nothing worse than walking around with food in your teeth. I think a person who eats pesto with you is probably a true friend since they’ll deal with the stink and make sure your teeth are clear.
But, recently I’m liking pesto on sandwiches. When I worked in DC I would sometimes go to Springmill Bread Company in Eastern Market and I would get a tomato, mozzarella and pesto sandwich toasted on whole wheat bread. It was simultaneously simple and decadent. Lots of melty cheese, bright tomatoes, and bold pesto – it’s like a caprese salad in a sandwich. What’s better than that? So it’s summer time practically, basil is in season – go crazy and make some pesto. Slather it on pasta, spread it on sandwiches, and find new ways to use it then email me so I can try them. We know I’m obsessed with basil and I’m always looking for new ways to try it out.
Now, even though pesto is so easy to make, I don’t always like to make it because pine nuts can be quite expensive! However, if you don’t want to use pine nuts in your pesto I’ve had success using almonds instead. Sure, it tastes a little bit different and might be less “authentic”- but if you like almonds it’s a pleasant change and you’re still getting the same garlic, cheese, and basil flavors. Main lesson here, you can make pesto without breaking the bank!
Adapted from BBC Good Food
Messy level: One spoon. All you need is a blender. You don’t even really need to cut anything (although you do need to peel the garlic). And if you don’t want to you don’t even have to measure. You can just pour the ingredients into the blender, blend, taste and adjust. Job done and so easy and dish free.
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 2 - 2½ cups basil leaves
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ¾ cup of olive oil
- pinch of salt
- This step is optional, but adds a nice flavor: In a dry skillet over medium heat add the pine nuts to toast. Stir regularly to keep from burning. Toast the pine nuts until brown in a few places, this takes about 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add the pine nuts to a blender.
- Add the basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and olive oil to the blender.
- Blend on high until smooth.
- Eat it with whatever you prefer. Store it in a tightly sealed container in the fridge. If it gets too thick just stir in a little more olive oil.
I’ve made it with cashews to avoid the pine nuts situation and that’s also pretty good. You just need to be careful not to use too many or it gets a bit too cashew-y