Prepare the basil by gently pulling off the leaves and tender stems, you'll wnat about 3 cups.
PRO TIP: Turn on the food processor and drop the garlic cloves through the shoot with the machine running. This is just a cool trick I learned to make sure that there are no large chunks of garlic anywhere in your sauce.
Add the basil, the grated cheese, the nuts, the lemon juice, and the seasonings to the food processor and process until the mixture is finely pureed. Scrape down the sides once and the process one more time.
Turn the food processor on and drizzle the olive oil into the pest while the machine is running. Scrape down the sides once and the process one more time.
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RECIPE TIPS
Recipe Variations Substitute one or more ingredients for the basil. You can also swap out the cheese or nuts for different varieties to create different flavored pesto.
Beet. 2 to 3 Beets + 2 tablespoons of chives + 1 tablespoon pomegranate vinegar.
Carrot. 2 to 3 cups of raw or roasted carrots + 2 tablespoons fresh oregano + goat cheese.
Kale. 3 cups of Lacinato or baby kale.
Mint. 1 cup of Mint + lemon zest from 2 lemons.
Sun-Dried Tomato. Use 1 cup of rehydrated sundried tomatoes + 2 cups of fresh basil.
Vegan. Use nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan cheese.
Serving Suggestions
Pizza. Add a few tablespoons of instead of marinara sauce to your next homemade pizza, or simply add a few dollops on top of your favorite pizza.
Chicken. Make a marinade with a few tablespoons of pest + a few tablespoons of oil + extra lemon juice.
Add it toSalmon or Roasted vegetables.
Make and aioli. Slather onto a sandwich or burger.
Make a salad dressing. Use a quarter cup of homemade pesto sauce, then add one-quarter cup of olive oil + 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or champagne vinegar. Whisk and drizzle over your green salad or mix into a pasta salad.
Compound butter. Bring one stick of butter to room temperature. Mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons of basil pesto. Place the mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap and then roll it into a log. Rechill and then serve with baked chicken or roasted potatoes.
Freeze to store. Freeze in ice cube trays and then store in a freezer bag until you need to add flavor to pasta dishes or soup recipes.