THIS PESTO IS ADDICTING
Who knew something so easy to make could taste soooooo good?!? I’m talking about pesto. I can’t stop eating it.
We have basil taking over our backyard and since we don’t like to waste anything, I needed a recipe that I would like enough to make a lot. THIS IS IT!
Most recipes call for pine nuts but I used walnuts and I’ve made several batches because it’s addicting. I didn’t even have enough for my pasta because we went through the pesto so fast. Quick, delicious snack is toasting bread, spread pesto, add your favorite cheese, tomato and a little balsamic. You won’t regret it.
And it’s not just the flavor. The main ingredient, basil, has antioxidants and anti-bacterial properties so it has tons of health benefits.
Keep in mind, you’ll need more than the small quantities you use for seasoning to get the benefits. But you’ll have no problem overindulging with this pesto recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 cups fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- Handful of chopped garlic chives (I luuuuv Society Garlic chives)
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese ( I used a plant-based cheese but you can skip the cheese to make this vegan)
- ¼ cup walnuts (can substitute with pine nuts or almonds)
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (helps preserve and keep it from turning brown)
DIRECTIONS:
- Add all of your ingredients to a food processor or blender and pulse until everything it’s to the consistency you like. I like my pesto a little thick, others like it runny. You can add more olive oil to change the consistency.
- The lemon juice helps keep your pesto vibrant green. Some people add olive oil over the top of the pesto once it’s already made. Oxygen is what turns the pesto brown. The idea with the oil is that it forms a barrier to keep the oxygen from getting to the pesto.
Now try it and tell me how much you love it!
I doubt that there will be any leftovers, but if you make a big enough batch, you CAN freeze the rest. I simply take the fresh pesto and put it into ice cube trays, freeze until solid, then I keep the cubes in a freezer bag, ready for my next meal.
I add it to sandwiches, bruschetta, pasta, roasted veggies and soups. Let me know what you make, I love to try new recipes.
Be sure to check out our page on natural remedies and add some of those natural ingredients to your recipe.
