The Best Basil Pesto Recipe

 

Ingredients:

• 6 cups loosely-packed Genovese basil, preferably young, bright-green leaves
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, preferably Italian
• 1/3 of a small, fresh garlic clove
• 1/2 cup fruity, mild extra-virgin olive oil, preferably from Liguria
• 1 teaspoon medium or coarse flaky sea salt, such as Maldon or fleur de sel (use less if using saltier pecorino-Romano cheese)
• 1/3 cup freshly-grated pecorino-Toscano cheese (pecorino-Romano is an ok substitute)
• 1/3 cup freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation:

1. Chill the blender bowl either in the freezer or by adding water and ice cubes until ready to blend. Meanwhile, rinse, then soak, the basil leaves in water for about 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Combine the nuts, garlic, and olive oil in the blender. Blend until the nuts are very finely chopped and the mixture is creamy. Add the salt.
3. In several handfuls, lift the basil from the bowl of water. Shake some of the excess water off, but not all, and add it to the blender. Pulse in the blender until it is a smooth, beautiful green color. If necessary, add more water a teaspoon at a time until it blends and emulsifies fully.
4. Add the cheeses and blend again until fully incorporated and serve. Click Here for some creative pesto pairing ideas!
5. PRO TIP: To store pesto, place it in a container and cover the top with a thin layer of olive oil. This acts as a seal, preventing oxidization. This pesto can be frozen for up to 3 months. Do not heat it to defrost; let it thaw at room temperature for about an hour or two, or overnight in the refrigerator.

unpeeledjournal.com

Parsley Pesto

 

Ingredients:

• 2 oz (60g) flat-leaf parsley ( 2 large handfuls)
• 1 heaped tbsp pine nuts
• 1 squeeze of lemon juice (around 1 tsp)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon Parmigiano Reggiano or pecorino cheese freshly grated
• 4 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin

Preparation:

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and blitz until smooth with an immersion blender.
2. If using a mortar and pestle add it to the mortar and pound until smooth. Season and use as required.

insidetherustickitchen.com

 

Radish Greens Pesto

 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pine nuts or pepitas
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup radish greens
• 1 cup basil
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more if desired
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, optional

Preparation:

1. In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper and pulse until well chopped. Add the lemon juice and pulse again.

2. Add the radish greens and basil and pulse until combined.

3. With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until combined. Add the Parmesan cheese, if using, and pulse briefly to combine. For a smoother pesto, add more olive oil.

https://www.loveandlemons.com/radish-greens/

Basic Pesto

 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves (no stems)
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts
• 2 large cloves of garlic
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Combine basil leaves, pine nuts or walnuts and garlic in a food processor and process until very finely minced.
2. With the machine running slowly dribble in the oil and process until the mixture is smooth.
3. Add the cheese and process very briefly, just long enough to combine. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/2653-basic-pesto

Dandelion Green Pesto

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dandelion greens
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1  lemon juice (juice of one lemon)
• 3 oz walnuts
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper ground

Instructions:

1. Sort the dandelion leaves by removing all the wilting or badly bruised leaves. Wash all remaining leaves and dry as well as you can.
2. Add all the ingredients into the food processor. Pulse about 30 seconds or until the ingredients mix into a nice consistency for pesto.
3. Use immediately over pasta. If you like add some grated Parmesan cheese. See notes.

https://belgianfoodie.com/recipe/dandelion-pesto/

Kale Pesto

From shareholder Stephanie Levin

Ingredients

• 1 cup kale
• ½ cup basil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

1. Bring medium pot of salted water to boil. Fill another with water and ice. Blanch kale for 25 seconds, then remove and put in cold water. Dry kale. Combine all ingredients in food processor for about 2 minutes or until smooth.

Cheese Ravioli with Kale Pesto and Roasted Carrots

Ingredients:

1 pound carrots (about 6), sliced
6 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons roasted almonds, plus more, chopped, for serving
1 clove garlic
1/2 small bunch kale, stems discarded and leaves torn (about 31/2 cups)
1 1/2 ounces grated Parmesan (1/3 cup), plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
16 to 18 ounces fresh or frozen cheese ravioli

Directions:

Heat oven to 450° F. Toss the carrots, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet and roast, tossing once, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, pulse the almonds and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the kale, Parmesan, lemon zest, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; pulse until finely chopped. With the machine running, add the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil. Process until smooth.

Cook the ravioli according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water; drain the ravioli and return them to the pot.

Add the carrots, pesto, and ¼ cup of the reserved cooking water and toss gently to coat (adding more cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce). Serve warm, sprinkled with the chopped almonds and Parmesan.

Recipe Source

Leftover Greens in your Refrigerator? Make Pesto!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh turnip greens (or also try beet or radish greens or kale), chopped
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts
• 1 garlic clove 
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Bring 4 qt. water to a boil in an 8-qt. stockpot. Add greens; cook 30 seconds. Remove greens, and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Process greens, walnuts, and next 3 ingredients in a food processor 2 to 3 minutes or until a paste forms, stopping to scrape down sides. With processor running, pour oil and lemon juice through food chute in a steady stream, processing until smooth. Add honey and cheese, and pulse 3 or 4 times or until blended. Add kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Serve immediately, or place plastic wrap directly on pesto (to help retain color), and refrigerate up to 1 week. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Click here for online recipe

Crispy Pesto Green Beans

Ingredients:

For the Pesto:

• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese

For the Green Beans:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 cups fresh green beans, ends trimmed and chopped into 1" pieces
• 1/4 cup homemade pesto (see above)
• 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Instructions:

For the Pesto:

1. Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
2. If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.
3. If freezing, transfer to an air-tight container and drizzle remaining oil over the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and stir in cheese.

For the Green Beans:

1. Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Cook garlic on medium-high heat for about 30 seconds, remove from skillet and set aside.
2. Add beans to the same skillet and sauté for about 6 minutes or until beans are cooked but still crispy. Return garlic to the skillet and cook an additional 30 seconds (just enough to quickly reheat garlic). Remove from skillet and cool down a bit.
3. Toss with pesto, sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/basil-pesto-recipe2.html

http://notenoughcinnamon.com/2013/02/19/crispy-green-beans-with-pesto/

Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

• 9 large roma tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
• 1/2 cup almonds, toasted
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 cup tightly packed basil + more for garnish
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling on tomatoes
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Your desired amount of cooked Pasta

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Place sliced tomatoes on the sheet and drizzle with oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for about 1 hour and 10 mins at 400F. Watch closely during the last 15 minutes of roasting.
2. Reduce oven heat to 325F and toast almonds for 8-10 minutes. Add 1/3 cup into food processor and process until finely chopped. I left mine a bit chunky for texture. Remove and set aside.
3. With processor turned on, add 2 garlic cloves and let it whirl around until finely chopped. Now add in the basil and process until finely chopped.
4. Add in the oil, optional nutritional yeast, and 1.5 cups of roasted tomatoes (you will have tomatoes left over). Process until smooth. Pulse in 1/3 cup toasted almonds. Season generously with salt and pepper. I think I used about 1/2 tsp salt or a bit more.
5. Pour your desired amount of pesto over the cooked pasta and mix well. Chop the remaining roasted tomatoes and stir into pasta. Chop remaining almonds and Chiffonade the basil (see below).

http://ohsheglows.com/2011/09/06/roasted-tomato-basil-pesto/

Spicy Mustard Green Pesto

Brilliantly green, this mustard green pesto packs a bit of a kick. It pairs beautifully with roasted potatoes, tomato salads and sourdough breads. Choose a good quality, extra virgin olive oil (get one here), that's rich in antioxidants which can add to the complexity of flavors achieved in this spicy pesto.

Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
6 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 bunches mustard greens (trimmed and chopped)
1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

Instructions
Toss pecans, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds into a bowl, and cover them by 2 inches with warm water. Allow them to soak for 4 to 6 hours, drain and rinse well. If you're in a bind, you can substitute sprouted or roasted nuts and seeds.

Place soaked pecans, pumpkin and sunflower seeds and garlic into your food processor. Pulse 3 to 4 times until just combined. Toss in mustard greens and sea salt and pulse for a few seconds.

Turn the food processor on and slowly drizzle olive oil into the seeds and greens until it forms a smooth and uniform paste. Serve immediately or transfer to mason jars, cap with additional olive oil and refrigerate for up to a month.

http://nourishedkitchen.com/spicy-mustard-green-pesto/

The Perfect Pesto!

Yield: About 1 cup

Ingredients
5-6 ounces (2 healthy bunches or about 6 cups gently packed)
basil leaves, or any other green
1/2 cup pine nuts, or any other nut
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, or any other hard cheese
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4-1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Equipment

Blender or food processor

Instructions
1. Blend Half the Basil With Nuts, Cheese, and Garlic: Combine half of the basil with the nuts, cheese, cloves, and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend continuously until the ingredients are finely chopped.

2. Blend the Rest of the Basil: Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the rest of the basil. Blend until a uniform paste has formed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

3. Stream in the Olive Oil: With the blender running, stream in the olive oil. Less olive oil will make a paste good for spreading on sandwiches and pizzas; more will make a sauce better for pastas and stirring into soup. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue blending as needed until the olive oil is emulsified into the basil and the pesto looks uniform.

4. Taste and Adjust: Taste the pesto and add more salt, garlic, nuts or cheese as needed to taste.

5. Storing Pesto: Pesto will darken and brown very quickly, but will still be tasty and fresh for several days. For best appearance, use it right away. If storing, store it in the smallest container possible and thoroughly press the pesto to eliminate air pockets. Pour a little olive oil over the surface, cover, and refrigerate for up to a week. Pesto can also be frozen for several months.

Find out More at the kitchn

Fava Bean Spread with Dill Pesto

Ingredients (Fava Bean Spread):
1 cup dry shelled fava beans soaked overnight or for at least 4 hours and thoroughly drained
1 medium onion (about 110 g)
1 medium potato (about 90 g)
1 medium carrot (about 50 g)
2.5 cups water
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and more for greasing the serving dish

Instructions:
Cook fava beans and vegetables: Peel and cut the onion and potato into 1.5 cm / 0.6 inch dices. Chop the carrots into 1 cm / 0.4 inch dices. Combine the vegetables and pre-soaked and drained fava beans in a medium pot. Pour the water over; the specified amount will be enough to barely cover the vegetables and beans. Cover the pot with a lid leaving a small gap and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to the medium-low and gently simmer. Remove the white foam as it is forms on top. Now and then check whether there is enough water at the bottom: with a fork gently push the beans and vegetables away from the side of the pan, but don’t stir! Add little water if needed to prevent the scorching of the pot. Cook until the vegetables are fork-tender, the beans mash easily and the water completely evaporates (about 1 hour).

Make fava bean spread: Remove the pot from the heat and immediately puree with an immersion blender until the fava bean spread reaches a smooth silky consistency, not unlike creme patisserie. Inspect for any random chunks of carrots or potato and puree until they disappear. Add sea salt and extra virgin olive oil and run the blender again to combine. Grease individual cups or a large serving dish with more olive oil and transfer the fava bean spread. Smooth the surface with a spatula and add a bit olive oil to prevent large cracks as the spread settles (which it does in minutes). For the best result, refrigerate the spread overnight: next day you will be able to release the puree from the dish easily, cut into pieces and serve with the dill pesto. 

Ingredients (Dill Pesto):
1/2 cup finely chopped dill
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp finely ground almonds
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to reach the desired consistency. I pulse for a while as I personally like this pesto smooth and runny so I can pour it over the chunks of fava bean spread. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. 

http://www.deliciousistanbul.com/blog/2014/06/11/fava-bean-spread-with-dill-pesto/

Pesto, Radish, and Sea Salt Crostini

Ingredients:

24 thin slices baguette (from 1 small loaf)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup pesto (great use for the U-Pick Basil!)
8 radishes, thinly sliced
flaky sea salt

Preparation: 

Heat oven to 400° F. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush both sides of the bread with the oil. Bake until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
Dividing evenly, spread the pesto on the toasted baguette slices, top with the radishes, and sprinkle with the salt.

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pesto-radish-and-sea-salt-crostini-00000000048770/index.html

Arugula Pesto

Ingredients

•                4 cups packed fresh arugula

•                1 tablespoon minced garlic

•                Salt and freshly ground pepper

•                1 cup pure olive oil

•                2 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted, plus 1 tablespoon

•                1/8 teaspoon vitamin C (optional)

•                1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl, and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put the arugula in a large sieve and plunge it into the boiling water. Immediately immerse all the arugula and stir so that it blanches evenly. Blanch for about 15 seconds. Remove, shake off the excess water, then plunge the arugula into the ice water bath and stir again so it cools as fast as possible. Drain well.

Squeeze the water out of the arugula with your hands until very dry. Roughly chop the arugula and put in a blender. Add the garlic, salt and pepper to taste, olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the pine nuts, and the vitamin C, if using. Blend for at least 30 seconds. In this way the green of the arugula will thoroughly color the oil. Add the cheese and pulse to combine. The pesto will keep several days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.

Pull out before dinner to get to room temperature. Before serving, add the remaining 1 tablespoon toasted pinenuts.

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/arugula-pesto-recipe/index.html

Pasta with Kale and Walnut Pesto

Recipe suggested by shareholder Beige Berryman:

1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp walnuts

1 bunch kale, thick stems removed and leaves torn (about 12 cups)

1 cup grated pecorino, plus more for serving

1 small garlic clove

kosher salt and black pepper

½ cup olive oil

¾ lb fusilli, penne or some other short pasta

Instructions:

1.     Heat the oven to 350^oF. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes; let cool. Chop 2 tbsp of walnuts and set aside.

2.     Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the kale and cook until bright green, 30 seconds. Transfer the kale to a colander (reserve the cooking water); squeeze dry when cool enough to handle.

3.     In a food processor, combine the kale, pecorino, garlic, the remaining 1/3 c of unchopped walnuts, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Process until finely chopped. With the machine running, add the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream.

4.     Bring the reserved cooking water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water; drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the pesto and ¼ cup of the reserved cooking water and toss to coat (add more cooking water if the pasta seems dry). Serve the pasta sprinkled with pecorino and chopped walnuts.

Source: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pasta-kale-walnut-pesto-00100000079770/index.html

Collard Green and Olive Pesto

6 large collard green leaves, center stems removed


12-15 large pitted Greek olive


2 large garlic cloves, peeled


1/2 c water


1 t balsamic vinegar


3 T pine nuts


1/3 c sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped


1/4 t cayenne pepper


1/4 t black pepper


1/2 t salt


1/3 c olive oil





Instructions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add collards, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain, pressing to extract excess water. Coarsely chop. In a food processor, blend olives and garlic until finely chopped. Add collards, water, vinegar, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, cayenne, pepper and salt, and pulse until well chopped. With motor running, add oil in a slow stream, until well blended. Season to taste.

Source: http://www.fresh365online.com/recipes/2009/6/23/collard-green-olive-pesto.html

Arugula Pesto

Ingredients
• 1 1/2 cups baby arugula leaves
• 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 2/3 cup pine nuts
• 8 cloves garlic
• 1 (6 ounce) can black olives, drained
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Place the arugula, basil, pine nuts, garlic, and olives in a food processor, and chop to a coarse paste. Mix in olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Process until well blended and smooth.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pesto-with-arugula/detail.aspx