Best 5 Fresh Basil Pesto Recipes

FRESH BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Combine basil, oil, pine nuts, garlic, and lemon juice in a food processor or blender; puree until smooth. Stir in Pecorino Romano cheese, salt, and pepper.

FRESH BASIL PESTO - FREEZER DIRECTIONS

Steps:

• Put the basil, garlic, pine nuts, and salt in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Drizzle olive oil. Taste and add more salt if needed.
• If freezing: line ice cube trays with plastic wrap. Scoop pesto into trays using 1-2 tablespoons of pesto per "cube." Freeze. Put in ziplock after solid. To use: Thaw and add cheese.
• If using fresh: Add the cheese and process a few seconds until just incorporated.
• Enough pesto for a pound of pasta and recommended it tossed with linguine, capellini or meat or cheese tortellini.

FRESH BASIL PARSLEY PESTO

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in food processor.
• Cover and puree until smooth.
• Refrigerate for several weeks, or freeze for 6 months.
• Toss with hot pasta.

FRESH BASIL PESTO WITH VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Fit your food processor with the steel blade attachment. To bowl add basil, garlic, oil, pine nuts, salt and pepper. Pulse several times, scraping bowl if needed, and continue until the mixture is a smooth paste. Add a tiny bit of oil if mixture gets too thick.
• When the consistency is right, transfer to a small bowl and fold in the shredded parmesan cheese.
• To Serve: Stir a few tablespoons of pesto with a splash of cooking water from your favorite pasta and toss with hot pasta until coated. Use as a condiment on grilled panini sandwiches, on toast points for an appetizer, as a pizza sauce, or garnish your fresh soup with a few teaspoons.
• To Store: Cover with a thin layer of olive oil or spray with non-stick cooking oil and keep in the fridge for several weeks. For long-term storage fill ice cube trays with pesto, freeze and then pop out into a resealable plastic bag. Thaw just the right amount of fresh pesto for your meal any time you want it!
• *NOTE: Other aromatic herbs, nuts, oils or hard cheeses can be used in place of or in combination with the basil, pine nuts, extra virgin olive oil and parmesan. Keep in mind the herb is the star of the show and should have the most prominent flavor when mixing and matching ingredients. Also, consider the rest of your meal and what fresh flavors might compliment it best. Have fun experimenting with some of the following!
• Herbs: fresh cilantro, spinach, oregano, sun-dried tomatoes; Italian flat leaf parsley can be used by itself but is also great to use with any of the other herbs when you may be running short on them.
• Nuts: Walnuts, almonds, pecans.
• Flavored Oils: porcini mushroom, walnut, lemon, rosemary, raspberry.
• Cheeses: parmigiano-reggiano, asiago, romano.

FRESH BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Combine basil and garlic in food processor and blend into a fine paste.
• Add pine nuts and cheese. Process until smooth.
• With machine running, pour olive oil into feed tube in slow, steady stream and mix until smooth and creamy.
• Transfer pesto into container. Cover surface of pesto with olive oil.
• Seal with a tight fitting lid.
• Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze.
• Stir oil into pesto before serving.