Basil Pesto Recipe

Basil Pesto Recipe

 

It’s August, which means our gardens are overflowing with veggies and herbs we planted months ago.  If you are looking for a new pesto recipe or not sure what to do with all that basil you planted try this fabulous recipe from Well Rounded Guru.  A big thanks to Jourdan and Mary for sharing their recipe!

The basil plant is referred to as the “king of herbs”. It is most well known for its widespread culinary use, most predominantly, pesto.

Every summer, we plant a variety of basil seeds, including Purple Basil, French Basil, and Sweet (Genovese) Basil. We make sure they have plenty of water, pick out weeds around them, and they grow happy and healthy.

By removing the flowering tops of the plant, basil will continue to grow and thrive. It has been growing so well this season, we have made some initial batches of pesto. At the end of the season, we will harvest all the plants and make several large batches of pesto to freeze for the winter.

Pesto recipes can be very unique and differ from each other, using different varieties of basil, cheeses, or herbs. Jourdan has perfected our pesto recipe and we are excited to share that with you here! Whether you grow your own basil, or buy the leaves from the store, make sure the leaves are rinsed thoroughly and left to dry completely before using. Wet basil leaves can give pesto a creamier consistency as the oil mixes with the water.

Basil Pesto
Prep time
10 mins
Total time
10 mins
Chef: Jourdan Hines
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 16 oz
Ingredients
  • 2 c packed basil leaves
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • ¾ c pine nuts
  • ¾ c parmesan cheese ( OR ¼ parmesan, ¼ romano, ¼ pecorino)
  • ½ c olive oil
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp lemon juice
  • ground pepper (to taste)
Directions
  1. Combine basil, pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped.
  2. Add cheese, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Set the food processor on low.
  3. Gradually pour in olive oil until desired consistency is reached.

There are many ways you can use your pesto for meals or snacks!

  • Toss pasta with the pesto and top with fresh tomatoes.
  • Use as a sandwich or wrap spread.
  • Cut up fresh vegetables for a summer veggie tray with hummus and pesto for dips.
  • Serve a spoonful with scrambled eggs in the morning.

Whichever way you eat your pesto, you can be sure it will be delicious and something the whole family will love!

You can find more of their recipes at http://www.wellrounded.guru/category/recipes/