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basil pesto
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Basil Pesto

Easy homemade basil pesto made in the food processor
Prep Time15 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Canning, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: authentic pesto, basil pesto, fresh pesto recipe, how to make pesto, pesto, pesto ingredients, pesto recipe, traditional pesto
Servings: 8
Calories: 494kcal

Equipment

  • Food Processor A large capacity processor is best

Ingredients

  • 8 cups lightly packed basil leaves rinsed and dried
  • 1 handful baby spinach rinsed and dried
  • 4 cloves garlic large cloves
  • cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese freshly grated real cheese
  • cup pine nuts lightly toasted
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice fresh is best, use about ½ lemon
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper

Instructions

  • Lightly toast pine nuts in dry pan over low-medium heat until slightly browned and aromatic. Cool.
  • Rinse and dry basil and spinach.
  • Peel and chop garlic cloves. Add to food processor with cooled pine nuts. Pulse a few times. Add basil, spinach and lemon juice. Pulse until well chopped. Add in stages if necessary to make room.
  • Grate parmigiano reggiano cheese. Add to food processor and pulse a few times.
  • Slowly pour in olive oil in a thin stream while running processor until all ingredients are blended and pureed.
  • Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Notes

Pesto will keep for weeks in the refrigerator. Just add a little more olive oil to the top of the jar and cover tightly with a lid. It also freezes well in small jars or heavy plastic bags. Freeze in serving sizes, about 1/4 cup each.

Nutrition

Serving: 60g | Calories: 494kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.3g | Protein: 16.3g | Fat: 47.5g | Saturated Fat: 12.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21.8g | Sodium: 298.7mg | Potassium: 206mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 0.5g