Pesto Genovese -

Pesto Genovese

Growing basil is easy, and pesto Genovese is a great way to preserve it and enjoy it year round.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Condiments

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: pesto Genovese, pesto Genovese recipe

Servings: servings

Calories: 174kcal

Author: Chloe Tuttle

1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
2 large cloves garlic minced or mashed
1/2 cup olive oil good quality
2/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, freshly grated is best if using pre-grated, grind in a food processor before adding to pesto
Handful of grape tomatoes optional

Wash and dry the basil leaves. Peel the garlic and mash it. Put basil, garlic and oil in blender Or in a small food processor that is used for chopping . This seems to have less waste Because it's easy to remove the pesto from the container . Blend or chop until smooth. Slowly add nuts and mix.
Remove from blender and mix in cheese. I like to blend some of the cheese in with the basil mixture.
Serving Suggestions : Serve on noodles with diced grape tomatoes as garnish. It is also very good in salad dressings or on crusty bread.

* You can use fresh spinach leaves instead of basil leaves

Yield 1 1/2 cups

** You can use walnuts or pecans instead of pine nuts

This Pesto Recipe is adapted from Craig Claiborne’s Pesto Genovese in his New York Times International Cookbook.