How To Make Basil Pesto
A classic and basic recipe for how to make basil pesto (A.K.A the best sauce in the world). Made with only five ingredients this intense, flavour packed basil pesto is perfect for dressing pasta, salads, on sandwiches, pizza and so much more!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 149kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups (30g) basil
- ⅛ cup (15g) pine nuts
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tbsp (45ml) olive oil
- ¼ cup (25g) pecorino or parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a bowl apart from the salt and pepper.
- Blitz the ingredients into a smooth sauce using a hand-held blender (or use a food processor) then season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add more olive oil if necessary.
Video
Notes
Please note this recipe was tested and developed using metric measurements all imperial measurements are approximate.
- Make sure to use fresh Italian basil for best results and don't use any with black spots or that has wilted
- Use good quality Italian olive oil
- If you don't have pine nuts you can replace them with cashew or walnuts
- Traditionally a mix of pecorino and parmigiano reggiano is used but you can use one or the other to keep the cost down
- You can keep pesto in the fridge for 1 day it may oxidise and turn brown so give it a stir to refresh it
Nutrition
Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 60mg | Vitamin A: 660IU | Vitamin C: 2.4mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 0.7mg