Basil Pesto Recipe
This Basil Pesto Recipe is a fast and easy recipe that adds flavor to any dish. Use it over grilled chicken, steaks, shrimp, and grilled or roasted veggies. Also great in sandwiches, pizza, and pasta.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, good quality
- zest and juice of 1 small lemon, or half of a large lemon
- kosher salt , to taste
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
- ¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, only add upon serving
Instructions
- Put basil, garlic, and nuts in food processor and pulse several times until chopped.
- Add olive oil and lemon zest with juice. Process until smooth and well blended.
- Transfer pesto to large bowl and season with kosher salt and fresh pepper, to taste. If using immediately, add in Parmesan cheese and mix together well.
Notes
- This recipe makes about 1 - 1 1/2 cups.
- Storage: If saving for future use, transfer pesto to airtight container and drizzle a light layer of olive oil on top to preserve color. Simply thaw and mix in the Parmesan cheese when you want to serve it up!
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 391IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 1mg