By Lacey (Lace Bakes)
Fresh Basil Pesto
18 steps
Prep:3minCook:5min
This is the FRESHEST, GREENEST basil pesto ever! There is a special step to ensure the basil stays as green as possible when you mix everything together - I learned this trick at a cooking class in Tuscany years ago!
This recipe has been scaled down to work with a mortar and pestle, but if you have a food processor you can make it in that instead (it's much easier on your arms as well!). I'd recommend scaling up the recipe by 2-3x if making in a food processor so you can save some for later.
Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 12:00:07 GMT
Nutrition balance score
Unbalanced
Glycemic Index
21
Low
Glycemic Load
1
Low
Nutrition per serving
Calories221.9 kcal (11%)
Total Fat22.5 g (32%)
Carbs2.7 g (1%)
Sugars0.1 g (0%)
Protein3.5 g (7%)
Sodium237.4 mg (12%)
Fiber0.6 g (2%)
% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Ingredients
2 servings
1garlic clove
1 pinchflaky sea salt
30gfresh basil leaves
stems removed
6gpine nuts
walnuts or pistachios also great
18gParmigiano Reggiano cheese
grated or shavings
38mlextra virgin olive oil
Equipment
Instructions
Note: DO NOT WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT PRECISE MEASUREMENTS
Step 1
I originally wrote this recipe down: two handfuls of basil, 1 garlic clove, pinch of salt, a couple of small spoonfuls of pine nuts, a small handful of cheese, a good glug of olive oil. Play around and adapt it to your taste - just use my measurements above as a loose guideline.
Mixing with mortar and pestle
Step 2
Remove the hard stems from the basil. Now place basil into a medium/large bowl. Pour ice cold water over the top of the basil and let it sit for a couple of minutes - this helps to prevent oxidation in the basil and will keep the pesto looking green instead of turning to a sort of army green once it's all mixed.
Step 3
Remove the basil from the water with your hands, shake off the excess water and gently blot it on a kitchen towel until it's fairly dry.
Step 4
Now, place the garlic clove and pinch of salt into your pestle and mortar and grind down into a paste.
Step 5
Add in your basil leaves - if your pestle and mortar can't accommodate them all at once, add in more leaves once there is space. Grind down the basil, garlic and salt all together.
Step 6
Add in the pine nuts (you can toast them first for extra flavour if you wish), and bash/grind them into the basil.
Step 7
Now add in the Parmigiano Regianno and mix it in using the pestle.
Step 8
Drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil slowly whilst mixing the pesto. Add as little or as much olive oil as you wish to achieve the texture you're after.
Step 9
Optional: a little squeeze of lemon at the end is also yummy and brightens the flavour a bit, but this isn't how I learned to do it in Tuscany. I'll leave it up to you if you wish to add it in!
Step 10
Store in the fridge in a small lidded container - the less air in the container, the better. Best used within 3-4 days.
Mixing in food processor
Step 11
I'd recommend scaling up the recipe by 2-3x if making in a food processor. The mortar and pestle can only make a small amount at a time, but it's much easier to make a bigger batch using a food processor or hand blender.
Step 12
Remove the hard stems from the basil. Now place basil into a medium/large bowl. Pour ice cold water over the top of the basil and let it sit for a couple of minutes - this helps to prevent oxidation in the basil and will keep the pesto looking green instead of turning to a sort of army green once it's all mixed.
Step 13
Remove the basil from the water with your hands, shake off the excess water and gently blot it on a kitchen towel until it's fairly dry.
Step 14
Place garlic (mince it first), pinch of salt, basil, pine nuts and Parmigiano Reggiano into the bowl of your food processor.
Step 15
Pulse until all the ingredients are nicely mixed together and very finely chopped. I like a little texture in my pesto (versus a smooth paste), so I always pulse instead of blend.
Step 16
Now, open the feed tube and drizzle olive oil in while pulsing. It should emulsify together nicely. Stop pulsing when you've reached the consistency you like (you may not have used all the olive oil, or maybe you wish to add a bit more).
Step 17
Optional: a little squeeze of lemon at the end is also yummy and brightens the flavour a bit, but this isn't how I learned to do it in Tuscany. I'll leave it up to you if you wish to add it in!
Step 18
Store in the fridge in a small lidded container - the less air in the container, the better. Best used within 3-4 days.
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