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pesto in bowl with spoon.

Basic Pesto Recipe

A basic pesto recipe using fresh basil and pine nuts.

Course Condiment
Cuisine Italian
Keyword pesto
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 2 cups basil leaves
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add additional olive oil if needed; add additional salt to taste. Serve immediately or store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. If you want to freeze it, prepare it without the cheese and freeze it in cubes in the ice-cube tray. Thaw cubes as needed, add freshly grated cheese.