Basil pesto – lots of fresh basil, parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic, and seasoning.
I have made pesto plenty of times before too. In fact, you will find a sad spinach and basil pesto in the archives, which I thought was a genius recipe at the time. Don’t get me wrong, it did taste good. But since then, not only have my taste buds evolved, but also my knowledge of food.
After bingeing on Salt Fat Acid Heat – I was wholly inspired to crush my basil I’m a traditional mortar and pestle and get the texture just right. That didn’t turn out that great either. But over time, I have perfected my own classic basil pesto. And like every classic Italian recipe, the devil is in the quality of the ingredients you use.
The texture and grind can be a personal preference, I prefer mine a little more textural and coarse.
What do you need for basil pesto?
- Fresh basil leaves – order them in or grow your own. Wash them thoroughly and use a colander to eliminate any excess water. You can roughly pick their stems out. There is plenty flavour in the stems, so you can leave a few in.
- Extra virgin olive oil – Like in all other Italian recipes, good quality EVOO is a must!
- Parmesan cheese – Parmesan adds that creaminess and saltiness to the pesto without any other sharp flavours. Perfectly bringing out the original flavours.
- Nuts – Traditionally, pinenuts are used in pesto which give you a much more creamy texture. But walnut pesto is also extremely popular owing to the affordability of walnuts.
- Garlic and seasoning – Don’t go overboard with the garlic as it can mar the taste of the delicate basil. Season it with salt and pepper.
You can store the dip in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 10 days. And you can even freeze pesto to last months.
Check out some more classic dips here –
Muhammara
Hummus
Dips for summer rolls
Ways to use Pesto
Being the versatile dip that it is, you can use pesto can in everything imaginable – from sandwiches to eggs, pizzas to pasta. Here are some of my top picks –
- Eggs – Pesto eggs were a Tik Tok rage and this insanely simple recipe was perfect. Simply frying eggs in pesto sauce and all the flavours lie in there. Check it out here.
- Tarts, and sandwiches – You can layer up pesto in your tomato and cheese tarts and sandwiches – Easy cheesy breakfast puff
- Pastas and Pizzas – Pesto and burrata is a match made in heaven. Toss your favourite pasta in pesto sauce, and top it with creamy burrata. Or you can replace the tomato sauce with pesto and use it on pizzas. Tear up some fresh mozzarella and enjoy!
And you must try this Caprese sandwich!
Basil Pesto
Ingredients
- 200 g Fresh basil leaves
- 2 nos garlic cloves medium sized
- ¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ⅛ tsp Pepper
- ¼ cup Walnuts
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash the basil leaves and run through a colander to get rid of any excess water.
- Add the basil leaves, peeled garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and walnuts and pulse.
- Slowly pour in the EVOO and pulse again till they combine.
- Add the parmesan cheese and pulse until desired consistency is reached.
- Store in an airtight container.
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