Basil Pesto
Lucinda Scala Quinn shows you how to preserve the summery flavor of basil using an easy recipe for pesto.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts evenly on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until golden and fragrant, tossing once, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
Meanwhile, bring 4 cups salted water to a boil; add basil, and submerge with a spoon. Immediately drain in a colander. Rinse with cold water until cool, then pat basil completely dry in paper towels.
In a food processor, combine nuts, basil, and garlic; season generously with salt and pepper. Process until nuts are finely chopped. With machine running, pour oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until smooth. Use immediately, or freeze.
Use this recipe in Pesto Pizzas and Chicken Fettuccine with Pesto Cream Sauce.
I've used pistachios instead of the pine nuts and really like it better than walnuts
Great recipe, very simple and easy and good results. My kids and hubby loved it and so did I. I think I'd like to add parmigiana cheese next time though just for more flavor.
Can basil pesto pasta be refrigerated and served cold the same as other pasta salads such as macaroni salad?
Yes Silvia, add the cheeses. I have for years, and to freeze, be sure to drizzle olive oil over the top of the pesto, cover and it keeps its color WITHOUT blanching the basl. Never micro to thaw, it will turn the pesto into a glob.
Hi, I'm Silvia and I'm italian. For the original pesto recipe (a tipish plate from "Liguria", near Tuscany where I live), you have to had 1/2 cup of parmigiano cheese and a 1/2 of pecorino cheese. Try and tell me :-)
Very easy to make. I have made this every summer for the past 3 yrs. I always mean to freeze it, but its so yummy we eat it up before we can!
Excellent!! I had a lot of people at my beach house and prepared it, served it over spaghetti, everybody liked it.
Sonia Cobar - Guatemala City
I also add a tablespoon of butter just to add some richness. I grow my own basil and make large batches of this pesto. It is great on bread, chicken or pasta.
Add baby spinach chopped finely to keep pesto green when use with pasta.