It’s so easy to grab a container of pesto and be done with it, right? Well…it’s not always that easy if you’re looking to keep the ingredients minimal. I also prefer not to have cheese and most are made with parmesan cheese. I’m here to tell you that it’s just as easy to make your own pesto at home!
I’ve made with pine nuts, almonds and walnuts and all seem to work for me. I don’t think it’s hard to mess up a pesto when you’ve got basil, olive oil and garlic involved! I do find that roasting your nuts for a bit takes it up a notch but it’s not necessary.
I am sure if you follow me on instagram, you know that I use Kasadrino’s Olive Oil…& this is what I use for my pesto. I know – you’re probably asking, “What’s so special about this olive oil?” I did too. But then I checked the site out and read about how they make their olive oil and how it proves to actually be EVOO. There is a chemical analysis done on each batch to ensure the quality and the right to be called extra virgin olive oil. You can find out more by checking out this link!
One of the best things about pesto is that it’s so versatile! I’ve used it in so many recipes….I even added it to my sweet potato salad for a nice little twist. I have a great biscuit recipe and the pesto made a nice little topper for a snack.
Summer is just around the corner and pesto has such bright and flavorful notes to accompany any meal. Grab some a few bunches of basil the next time you are at a farmers market or store and whip some up! You can store it in a tightly sealed jar or container for a couple of weeks in the fridge. Have at it! And let me know what you do with it. I’m always looking for different ways to add this combo to my meals 🙂
- 3 cups packed basil
- 1/2 cup pine nuts (separated)
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1 tbsp cashew butter
- 4 large cloves of garlic
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- If preferred, roast nuts on baking sheet for 5-8 min in a 350 degree oven* - Let cool.
- In a high speed blender or food processor, blend all ingredients EXCEPT olive oil and 1/4 of the pine nuts.
- Slowly drizzle in olive oil while continuing to blend/process.
- Chop remaining 1/4 cup pine nuts to a fine consistency with food chopper or sharp knife and add to blended pesto (I do this because I like it a little thicker than having it all blended to a smooth consistency but feel free to blend it all in if preferred).
- I like to top it off when serving, with an additional pine nut crumble.....just for fun 🙂
- *This is not necessary - it's still delicious without this step but it does bring out some of the nuts oils/fragrances.
