Pesto Sauce
Total Time
15 Minutes
Prep Time
15 Minutes
Rating
4.86 out of 5 stars
(161)
Ingredients
10 servings
- ⅓ cup walnuts
- 2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
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Preparation
Step 1
Place the walnuts and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until coarsely chopped, about 10 seconds.
Step 2
Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper and process until mixture resembles a paste, about 1 minute.
Step 3
With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly blended.
Step 4
Add the Parmesan and process a minute more.
Step 5
Use pesto immediately or store in a tightly sealed jar or air-tight plastic container, covered with a thin layer of olive oil. It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
Step 6
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Chef's notes
Pesto can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 6 months. You can 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. You can add the defrosted pesto cubes to soups, pasta dishes, eggs, sandwiches, and potatoes.
For the cheese, be sure to use authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy; domestic Parmesan is not the same thing. You can always tell if the cheese is authentic by looking at the rind, which is embossed with the name over and over.
For the nuts, walnuts are used instead of the more traditional pine nuts for a few reasons, including cost and avoiding Pine Mouth Syndrome.
