Pesto

Dinners, Italian, Lunch, Sauces

 

Pesto
This is a simple, fresh sauce, made with fresh basil. It's fast, easy, and doesn't need cooking. It's green perfection!
Pesto
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Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Sauce
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Easy, fast, Gluten-Free, Pasta, Vegetarian
Servings: 8
Calories: 174kcal
Author: Chef Bill Collins

Equipment

  • Food processor or blender (or a mortar and pestle, if your very old school)

Ingredients

  • 1 garlic clove (peeled)
  • 2 cups basil leaves (rinsed and dried (a slad spinner makes drying very fast))
  • ¼ cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese
  • salt
  • pepper

Instructions

  • In a food processor or blender, process the garlic until it’s minced
  • Add the basil, and process until it’s chopped into small pieces. Add the pine nuts (or walnuts), and pulse chop until they’re very small pieces
  • Slowly add the olive oil until combined. Then, add the parmesan cheese, and process until it’s combined
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper

Notes

You can stretch the amount of pesto by adding parsley, cilantro, even a bit of romaine lettuce. Other flavors you can add include sun dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, anchovies, or whatever you'd like.
Nutrition Facts
Pesto
Serving Size
 
8 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
174
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
18
g
28
%
Saturated Fat
 
3
g
19
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
3
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
11
g
Cholesterol
 
4
mg
1
%
Sodium
 
101
mg
4
%
Potassium
 
50
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
 
1
g
0
%
Fiber
 
0.3
g
1
%
Sugar
 
0.2
g
0
%
Protein
 
3
g
6
%
Vitamin A
 
367
IU
7
%
Vitamin C
 
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
86
mg
9
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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