Home Made Italian Basil Pesto

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The Limitless Pesto

This spring bright green sauce is wonderful with anything.

Don’t limit yourself to just the pasta. This goes great with meats, fish, BBQs, roasted vegetables, in sandwiches over dipes…. It is great as a base to pizzas instead of the Tomato sauce, especially if topped with grilled chicken strips, mushrooms and Parmesan cheese. This makes for an amazing green pizza, full packed with freshness and great flavours – a change from the regular tomato sauce-based pizzas. Pesto is also great as a snack with some cherry tomatoes, roasted or fresh. Try it with rice cakes for an extra healthy snack. Pesto can also be used as dip for cocktail parties, with olive, cherry tomatoes and baby buffalo mozzarella rounds, Grana Padano cubes…. This sauce is also good to dress salads… There is really no limit to what you can do with Pesto.

This recipe will make enough to chill or freeze for another time. Instructions for canning are also included here 🙂

Ingredients

Serves: 3/4
  • 1/4 cup DS Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/2 cup toasted Pine nuts
  • 2 cups firmly packed fresh Basil Leaves
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • pinch DS Pink Himalayan Salt
  • black pepper

In a food processor, combine oil, nuts, basil, cheese, garlic, and salt. Cover and process till almost smooth. Scrape the sides and process one more time to make sure no big chunks remain. Add black pepper to taste.

Canning Pesto

If you are not using Pesto immediately, and for long time storage, you need to sterilise your jars. Boil 3 small airtight jars and covers to sterilise them. Pour the Pesto inside the dried, sterilised jars, top with olive oil so none of it is exposed to air. Close the lid tightly. You can now store your jars in the fridge or even freeze them.

These jars are a good idea for small home-made gifts to give to your friends, neighbours, hosts…etc. Just top the cover with a nice cloth and tie with a nice ribbon. Pesto is a gift from the kitchen that is always appreciated.

For Simple Pesto Pasta Dish

Cook 180g Pasta like spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine according to package instructions. Toss with 1/4 cup Pesto. Top with roasted cherry tomato halves and grated Parmesan cheese, you can also top with grilled chicken strips. Serve warm.

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