So I made this PESTO sauce earlier this summer and gave it another attempt today. I thought I'd share it because it's super easy and basic, which also means you can vary the recipe with ease.
To start you'll need:
- 3 cups basil leaves
- 1/2 cup of nuts (pine nuts for the most authentic, almonds if you like them, and walnuts if you're a poor college kid like me)
- 6 cloves of garlic (or the minced garlic equivalent... check your packaging)
- 1 cup of olive oil (I usually end up replacing some of the oil with water to cut the calories in this)
- 2 pinches of Cinnamon (original recipe uses nutmeg which I don't have in my spice cupboard.... it's called improvising. ha!)
- Salt & Pepper to taste
I first toast the walnuts for 10 minutes in the oven. This is a trial and error portion of the recipe (the first time I did it I burnt them). For walnuts, I place them on a baking sheet and then toast for 5 minutes at 300 and then bump it up to 350 for another 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn them. If they start to smell sweet they're pretty close to done. Check out the third picture for coloration help.
After this I place all the ingredients in a blender... or a food processor (what's really the difference?). Blend until smooth and thick. Now, technically, you're done! Easy right? However I strongly encourage taste testing. Both times I've made this I added in some grated cheese, although I can't tell you how much. It was a "just dump some in" kind of thing. I also added a bit more cinnamon and pepper.
I love this recipe because of how easily you can change it without really messing it up. It's delicious!
(This recipe yields about 12 servings. I store mine in a mason jar in the fridge. It's great on pasta, sandwiches, pizza, and every other thing you can think of.)
Thank you to Rebecca who originally posted this recipe on Allrecipes.com
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