Making pesto from scratch isn’t much harder than opening a jar of store-bought, but it’s light-years beyond in terms of fresh deliciousness. This version includes a touch of lemon zest, a refreshing note that you don’t find in typical recipes. Once you’re familiar with the recipe, it’s easy to experiment with other herb combinations: Toss in a few sprigs of fresh mint or swap some of the basil with fresh parsley or cilantro. The quantities here make enough for 8 ounces of pasta and can be easily doubled.
Satisfy your sweet tooth with this easy-to-make recipe for Speedy Fresh Basil Pesto.
1. Info for Speedy Fresh Basil Pesto
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 15 min
- Servings: 4
- Calories: 343.69 kcal
2. Ingredients for Speedy Fresh Basil Pesto
- fresh basil leaves
- garlic
- pine nuts
- salt
- grated lemon zest
- extra-virgin olive oil
- grated Parmesan cheese
3. Directions:
- Put basil, garlic, pine nuts, salt, and lemon zest in a food processor. Pulse to create a coarse puree, scraping down inside of bowl as needed.
- Slowly add olive oil to basil mixture, with processor running.
- Add Parmesan and process again until smooth.
- Serve pesto on pasta, grilled eggplant and zucchini, swirled into vegetable or bean soup, or as a sandwich spread. To store, transfer to small bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap onto surface, and store in refrigerator up to 3 days.
){kind=link}