This pesto sauce combines fresh basil leaves with pine nuts, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and a touch of salt for an out-of-this-world flavor! Pesto is an easy-to-make base for so many wonderful pasta meals, dips, dressings, and much more! This traditional old-world Italian sauce blends with cooked pasta for a quick 10-minute dinner any night of the week!
2cupsfresh basil leaves(approximately 2 oz, young basil leaves are best)
1pinchsalt(to taste)
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Instructions
Combine pine nuts and garlic in a food processor and process until very finely minced.
Leave your food processor on low speed and drizzle the olive oil into the minced ingredients. Combine until the mixture is smooth.
Add the grated Parmesan cheese and basil leaves then pulse the food processor in short bursts, just enough to thoroughly combine the sauce ingredients. Season with a pinch of salt, stir, and adjust to taste as needed.
Notes
Please see the post above for storage and freezing options. Nut alternatives and cheese alternatives are also discussed, as well as nut-free and dairy-free options.To serve your pesto on cooked pasta: transfer the cooked al denté pasta to a serving bowl using tongs or a pasta fork ( the saucepan or pot used to boil the pasta will be too hot for the fresh basil pesto ). Add your pesto sauce to the pasta, then add some of the pasta water in spoonfuls bit by bit. Stir between each addition to combine and emulsify the sauce. This recipe will use about ¼ cup of the pasta water to make your perfect pesto pasta!
Using fresh ingredients is key to achieving the best flavor results! This sauce relies heavily on fresh basil, so make sure your basil leaves are bright green and fragrant.
You can toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat to add an even more nutty flavor to the sauce. Stir frequently and heat until the nuts turn golden brown.
Make sure to not overmix the pesto sauce as it should have some texture. Also, when you add the Parmesan cheese at the end, pulse lightly so that the sauce doesn't become gloopy.
Adjust ingredients as needed, especially the salt. If your sauce is too salty, add more pine nuts or cheese. If your sauce is too thick, you can add a little more olive oil.