Okay, perhaps I’ve been a little basil obsessed lately. I was actually called a basil-holic on instagram last week, because of my constant posting of it. Well, I am NOT ashamed! Basil, after all, is probably my favorite herb.
I have 3 out of control basil plants, and what is one to do with all of that basil?! Apparently, make everything humanly possible with said basil. (Okay, let me say basil 5 more times….)
How can you think of this glorious herb without thinking of…..Pesto.
It’s fresh, it’s light, it’s nutty, it’s perfection. Slather it on a sandwich (ciabatta bread preferred), a pizza, pasta, beef, pork, chicken….you name it, it’s probably good on it (aside from chocolate donuts; don’t try that one).
I often look at the jarred pesto in the stores and contemplate buying it, but I never do. Know why? Because it’s genuinely NOT the same. It will never be as fresh or flavorful as when you make it yourself. Not to mention the fact that a small jar is almost $7.00 now. GASP!
Okay, I get the fact that nuts are expensive, especially pine nuts. But, you can make a batch of pesto with pretty much any nut. I made this batch with pecans, because it’s what I had in the pantry. The truth is, that for a $5 bag of pecans, I used less than a quarter of it for a bunch of pesto that will last me a month. That’s a deal and a half, my friends.
And honestly, could it be any easier to make pesto? It should be given the “set it and forget it” award. More like, throw it all in a food processor and hit “Go”. TA-DA! Practically magic, isn’t it?
So, if I havent convinced you yet to make your own pesto, I’ll lay it out for you now.
You Save:
+ A whole lotta flavor and freshness
+ For a decent brand jar of pesto, 8 oz, it costs roughly $7.00
To make this recipe of pesto, making almost double, it will cost you roughly $4.00 (less if you grow basil)!
Pretty convincing, if I do say so myself.
I think I may take most of my basil and make a ton of pesto and can it before the summer is fully over. Then, we’ll have a taste of summer all year long!
Alright, enough chatter, lets see how tough it is to make some Fresh Basil Pesto! 😉
Fresh Basil Pesto
What You’ll Need:
+ 4 cups fresh basil leaves
+ 1 and 1/2 cup pecans (or pine nuts, if you prefer)
+ 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
+ 4 cloves garlic
+ 3/4 cup olive oil
+ pinch salt, dash of pepper
Place all of the ingredients in your food processor or blender, and puree until fairly smooth. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should keep for at least a month (if you don’t eat it before then!).
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