Fresh Pesto Recipe No. 1
Fresh pesto is magnificent! Traditional fresh pesto is prepared using a marble mortar and wooden pestle. While you can still make
pesto in this manner, I prefer to use a food processor. The basic ingredients of fresh pesto are basil leaves, olive oil and garlic. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese and pine nuts can be added as they are in our fresh organic pesto recipe below. Pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week in an air-tight glass container. Avoid using plastic containers when storing pesto if possible as they tend to distort the flavor over time. 3 cups loosely packed fresh organic basil leaves
1/3 cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
4 large cloves of garlic
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese or Asiago cheese
1 teaspoon oregano leaves - no stems
1/2 to 2/3 cup organic virgin olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor, pulse several times to combine ingredients. Slowly add olive oil while continuing to pulse until mixture makes a thick, smooth sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss over hot pasta and serve on warm plates with garlic bread and a fresh mixed green salad.
Makes approximately 2 cups of pesto. You can freeze this pesto recipe in portions for use later as a sauce over fish or add to soups and sauces.
About the ingredients in this recipe:
Basil: Basil is a tender herb that is easy to grow during the summer months when the low night temperatures stay above 50 degrees. Growing your own basil is easy from seed and very inexpensive. When growing basil make sure that you use only certified organic basil seeds that are non-GMO. Learn more about the health benefits of basil and how to freeze basil in our cooking tips and techniques section of this website.
