Italian
Homemade Pesto Sauce
Easy, beautiful, bright homemade pesto sauce with lots of fresh basil, parmesan cheese, and toasted nuts.
- Prep time
- 5 min
- Cook time
- No separate cook time
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 4 packed cups fresh basil leaves (100 g)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- the zest of one small lemon
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup toasted pine nuts, cooled
- pinch red chili flakes
- 1 cup good quality olive oil
Instructions
- 1
In the bowl of a food processor or blender, add all the ingredients from the basil leaves through to the red chili flakes (everything except the olive oil).
- 2
Blend to combine until basil is chopped up. Then, drizzle in the olive oil while blending until all the olive oil is added and a paste with some texture forms. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- 3
Store in a tightly covered jar covered with a thin layer of olive oil in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 6 months (instructions in the post)