Classic Basil Pesto Recipe
Pesto is an iconic Italian sauce that originated in Genoa. Made with a minimal list of ingredients – basil, pine nuts, hard cheese, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and salt – it is culinary genius. My Classic Basil Pesto recipe reflects the way I grew up making it with my Mom’s Italian family, except I use cheese made with microbial (vegetarian) rennets.
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Classic Basil Pesto Recipe
Pesto is an iconic Italian sauce that originated in Genoa. Made with a minimal list of ingredients – basil, pine nuts, hard cheese, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and salt – it is culinary genius. My Classic Basil Pesto recipe reflects the way I grew up making it with my Mom’s Italian family, except I use cheese made with microbial (vegetarian) rennets.
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Recipe byReese Amorosi
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 | 15minutes |
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Ingredients
- 2cups fresh basilstemmed
- 2-3 oz extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheesevegetarian, grated
- Kosher saltto taste
Instructions
- Add basil (washed, patted dry and stemmed) and nuts to food processor, pulse until chopped. You may need to stop the food processor and scrapes the sides down with a spatula as you move through the recipe.
- Add one clove of garlic to the food processor and pulse until chopped. Taste the mix to see if you need the second garlic clove. If yes, add it now and pulse several times.
- Add the cheese and pulse until it is well blended, then taste the mix. The cheese might have added enough salt, but if not, stir in the desired amount of salt now.
- With the food processor running, add oil through the feed tube in a steady steam and blend until it starts to move around the bowl in one big ball (for a thicker pesto), or until it has completely emulsified (for a thinner pesto).
- Move the pesto into an air-tight jar. Cover with a layer of olive oil to prevent oxidation. Store refrigerated, use in 5 days.