Ingredients
Basil pesto
- 60 g fresh basil leaves rinsed, dried thoroughly; thick stems removed
- 40 g Parmesan cheese finely grated; vegetarian rennet if needed
- 25 g pine nuts raw
- 1 small garlic clove about 3 g, peeled
- 80 ml extra virgin olive oil about 73 g
- 10 ml lemon juice
- 0.25 tsp fine salt about 1.5 g
Equipment
- Small food processor
- Salad spinner or clean towel
- Fine grater
- Spatula
Instructions
Pulse and season
- Rinse and thoroughly dry the basil. Finely grate the cheese. Have all ingredients ready before processing.
- Pulse the pine nuts, garlic and Parmesan in a small food processor until finely chopped. Scrape the sides.
- Add the basil, lemon juice and salt. Pulse briefly to chop the leaves, stopping to scrape down the bowl.
- Add the oil gradually while pulsing just until combined. Stop while the pesto still has fine visible texture; avoid prolonged processing.
- Serve as a spread or condiment. For pasta, thin only the portion needed with a little pasta cooking water and toss off the heat.
- Transfer unused pesto immediately to a clean covered container. Label and refrigerate at 40°F/4°C or below for up to 4 days, or freeze small portions promptly. Thaw in the refrigerator. This recipe is not for canning or room-temperature storage.
Nutrition
Calories: 128kcalCarbohydrates: 0.8gProtein: 2.7gFat: 13.1g
Video
Notes
Nutrition is estimated per one-eighth of the batch using USDA basil, garlic and lemon data plus representative Parmesan, pine-nut and olive-oil labels. Brand differences and label rounding affect the result. Fiber, sodium and micronutrients are not estimated. Pasta, toast and accompaniments are excluded.
Instructional video: Nicole McLaughlin for Allrecipes, “How to Make Basil Pesto | Get Cookin’,” published May 19, 2023. It demonstrates the same basil, cheese, pine nut and olive oil food-processor method. This formula uses one small garlic clove instead of the linked recipe’s four, uses weighed ingredient ratios and keeps the pine nuts raw; follow this card’s amounts and storage instructions.
Cost planning allowances: basil US$2.50, pine nuts US$1.25, cheese US$0.80, oil US$0.73, garlic and lemon US$0.22, salt US$0.02. Actual prices vary. Pasta, bread and accompaniments are excluded.
Lemon juice is for taste and is not a validated acidification process. Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze; never can this pesto or store it at room temperature.