cooking / sauces

Basil Pesto

serves about 3/4 cup · about 15 minutes · 10 minutes hands on · easy

Why This Works

Built on a by-weight ratio, so it scales to whatever basil you've got: per 100 g of leaves, use 50 g pine nuts, 70 g Parmesan, and 120 g olive oil. Blanching the basil locks in the bright green, and folding the cheese in by hand at the end keeps the texture from going gluey.

Ingredients

Scaled here for 62 g basil leaves — rescale with the ratio above.

  • 62 g fresh basil leaves
  • 31 g pine nuts
  • 43 g grated Parmesan
  • 74 g extra-virgin olive oil (about 80 ml)
  • 1-2 garlic cloves
  • About 1/2 tsp salt, to taste
  • Squeeze of lemon juice (optional)

Method

  1. Toast the pine nuts: dry pan over medium-low, tossing 3-4 minutes until golden and fragrant. Watch closely — they burn fast. Cool before using so they don't turn the pesto oily.
  2. Blanch the basil (optional, but worth it): drop the leaves into boiling water for 5-10 seconds, then straight into ice water. Squeeze dry. This locks in the bright green and stops it oxidizing to army-drab. Skip if you don't mind the color dulling.
  3. Build the paste: pulse the garlic, cooled pine nuts, and a pinch of salt in a food processor to a coarse crumb. Add the basil and pulse again.
  4. Stream in the oil: with the motor running, drizzle the olive oil in slowly until it comes together. Don't over-process — a little texture beats a smooth purée, and over-blending heats the pesto and dulls the flavor.
  5. Finish: fold in the Parmesan by hand. Taste, adjust salt, and add a squeeze of lemon if you want it brighter.

Notes

  • Store airtight with the surface flush and a thin film of oil on top; keeps about 5 days in the fridge.
  • Freezes well in portions (ice-cube trays work). For the best texture, leave the cheese out and stir it in after thawing.
  • Uses: toss with hot pasta (loosen with pasta water), spoon over roasted vegetables or eggs, swirl into minestrone or tomato soup, spread on sandwiches, or fold into grain bowls.