Once the weather starts warming up, I, like many others, tend to lean towards lighter meals. Gone are the days of slow cooked and braised; bring on the fresh, herbaceous and vibrant meals. In Texas, it’s too hot to stay in the kitchen all day once spring hits and summer is a death sentence. So, I welcome any quick, flavorful dish that keeps me fed and out of the kitchen at rapid speed.

Pesto is one of those simple recipes you have to have in your heatproof meal prep arsenal. It’s too easy and too versatile to not have this recipe sitting in your back pocket, ready to use at any given moment. Basil pesto is also one of those things that has become a pantry staple in my house. And as much as I buy the ready made version at the store, it warranted me to try my hand at making it from scratch.

I’m not sure why it took me so long to make this myself, especially after reading how many unnecessary ingredients are added to the ones on the shelf. I understand preservatives are necessary for shelf stability, but if I want to do this basic sauce justice, I had to make it myself. Now, I’m sharing it with you all and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

There’s really not much else I have to add before we jump into this recipe besides explaining why I toast the garlic prior to adding it to the blender. I prefer slightly cooked garlic, opposed to the pungency in its raw form. So, I throw the cloves, gently smashed, in the skillet while the pine nuts are roasting. If you don’t mind the sharp bite of raw garlic, skip this step and throw the whole garlic cloves, as is, in the food processor. However, if you’re questioning whether or not toasting the pine nuts is necessary, yes; for flavor purposes, yes it is. So, it’s kind of like, you might as well toast the garlic too.

Anyways, let’s get to it.

Classic Basil Pesto

Yields: 1 cup

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

4 oz fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt (to taste)

Special Tools

food processor or blender

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Instructions

In a nonstick skillet over medium low heat, toast the pine nuts and garlic cloves until the pine nuts are slightly golden. About 5 minutes.
Add the toasted pine nuts, garlic, half the basil leaves and salt to the food processor and blend until roughly combined.
Add the remaining basil leaves, parmesan cheese and blend while slowly drizzling in the olive oil until everything is well combined.
Serve as the sauce with your favorite pasta shape, chicken marinade, as a spread on a sandwhich or even in pasta salad. Get creative and enjoy!

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