Easy Homemade Basil Free Petso

5 from 1 vote

Pesto is a great way to add flavor to a meal. Traditional pesto is made with fresh basil but there are so many substitutes for basil to try.

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: Cup

Calories: 1423kcal

Add the ½ cup olive oil, ½ cup Parmesan cheese , ¼ cup of your favorite nut, 2 cloves of garlic , juice and zest of 1 lemon , ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper to a food processor or blender, puree until a paste is formed. Scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula if necessary.
Add the 2 ½ cups green of your choice and blend for as short a time as possible to maintain its color.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Tips

Toasting the nuts before adding them to the pesto brings out their nutty flavor but isn’t necessary.
Increase pesto’s flavor by adding a couple of roasted red peppers, charred jalapenos, or sun-dried tomatoes.
Add more or less olive oil based on your personal texture preference. If you prefer a more paste-like consistency add less olive oil. If you prefer a looser more sauce-like pesto add more olive oil.
Pesto freezes really well. Pour any unused pesto into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once the pesto has frozen place the pesto cube in a zip-top bag labeled with the date and contents. Pesto can be frozen for up to three months. I really like these silicon ice cube trays. They are flexible which makes removing the cubes easier.

Storage

Pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for about five days. Pour pesto into an airtight container and cover with a thin layer of olive oil.