I have made many fresh pesto sauces over the years but this was the best yet. So easy and tasted wonderful. Use the best olive oil and parmesan cheese you can afford and here’s to one of the quickest sauces you can make for pasta.
- 45g walnuts
- 4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 65g packed fresh basil leaves and stalks if tender.
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 160ml good olive oil
- 50g grated good parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Put the walnuts into a small dry frying pan over a moderate heat, move the nuts around the pan turning as often as possible for 5 – 6 minutes. Then remove the pan from the heat and let them cool a little.
- Place the walnuts, garlic, basil, salt, pepper and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. And process until well blended
- Add the Parmesan and process for about another minute
- Use the pesto immediately or store in a tightly sealed jar or air-tight plastic container, covered with a thin layer of olive oil (this seals out the air and prevents the pesto from oxidizing, which would turn it an unappetizing brown colour). It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Pesto can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 6 months. You can also divide your prepared pesto into the compartments of an ice cube tray and freeze. Once it’s frozen, remove the pesto cubes from the tray and put in a sealable plastic bag or airtight container.
Based on a recipe at Pesto Sauce Recipe – Once Upon a Chef