My herb garden is growing out of control.
The weather here in NY has been soooo weird lately; crazy rain, crazy mosquitoes, and now crazy heat! My once little herb garden has finally taken off and I don’t know what to do with it all! When in doubt, I throw everything into a blender and make pesto.
I feel like pesto is one of those things that you either love or hate. Me personally, I happen to love pesto. I grew up eating this glorious green stuff and to boycott its existence would go against my DNA (that’s the Italian in me…) Our family recipe uses a combination of basil and parsley, and instead of pine nuts (too $$$) I use almonds or walnuts. This is a ‘no-cook’ sauce, so using good quality ingredients will really make a difference.
Trust me.
If you’ve never made pesto before, I am going to share a little secret with you (I feel like I always say this…) You MUST blanch your basil. Why? Your pesto will turn brown if you don’t. I used to think this was a waste of time but it’s really not. You have to boil the water for the pasta anyway, so you might as well blanch your basil right before it goes in. It literally takes 3 seconds. Basil bruises very easily and this will help to retain it’s bright green color. Cool, right?
Freeze any leftovers. You know the drill…
Tips:
- I like to use small, tender basil leaves for their sweet flavor. The larger ones tend to take on a liquorice/anise flavor.
- For a smooth pesto, puree your sauce in a blender. Use a food processor or mortar & pestle for a more rustic texture.
- Blanching basil will subsequently add more moisture to your recipe. Make sure to squeeze out any excess water before blending. If your sauce is too loose, the consistency can be corrected with additional parmesan cheese and/or nuts.
- Freeze any leftover pesto in ice cube trays, and then transfer to Ziploc bags. Defrost overnight (in the refrigerator) or warm gently. Frozen pesto will keep for 3-6 months.
fresh basil pesto
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients
- 2 c. basil, reserving a couple of leaves for garnish
- 1 c. parsley
- 1/2 –1 garlic clove
- 1/2 c. pine nuts, almonds or walnuts
- 1/2 c. ground parmesan cheese
- 1/2 c. good quality olive oil
- salt & pepper
- 1 lb. linguine fini (thin linguine) or thin spaghetti
Instructions
- Toast the nuts: In a small skillet, gently toast the nuts over low heat until golden brown. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
- Make an ice bath: Grab a large bowl and fill with water and ice. Set aside.
- Blanch the basil: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place your basil leaves in a small strainer and gently lower into the water. Blanch for 3 seconds and then remove it. Immediately shock in an ice bath and squeeze out any excess moisture. If you’re serving this with pasta, bring the water back to a boil and cook your pasta according to the package instructions.
- Make the pesto: To a blender or small food processor, add the blanched basil, parsley, 1/2 clove of garlic, parmesan cheese, and toasted nuts. Slowly stream in the olive oil and process until smooth. If your mixture seems thick, add additional olive oil until you get the right consistency.
- Give your pesto a taste. Add more garlic (if you’d like) and a good amount of salt and pepper to taste. You don’t want it to be bland. If it seems a bit loose, transfer the sauce to a bowl and stir in additional parmesan cheese.
- Drain the pasta reserving a mug filled with starchy cooking liquid. Use this to loosen the sauce if necessary.
- To serve: Top the pasta with pesto, reserved basil leaves, and extra parmesan cheese.
- Serve immediately.
Comments
silvia says
Pesto perfection!
★★★★★
Connie A Raffa says
Emilie
Peaches look so delicious. Can’t wait to try out this recipe and eat them! Connie
★★★★★
Maria | Pink Patisserie says
Such a great tip about blanching! Thank you for sharing! And I too love the addition of parsley. Can’t wait to give this a go.
Adri says
I’m with you on the blanching. It makes a world of difference. And congratulations on a truly beautifully photogrpahed post.
Laney @ OrtensiaBlu says
You’re always a wealth of information! Now I’ll start blanching all that basil in the garden…who knew?
Rakhee@boxofspice says
What a beautiful dish Emilie! Its like summer on a plate. :)
Emilie says
Yeah! Blanching works like a charm. I don’t think I’ve ever made pesto in the blender or food processor without it turning brown… It’s funny because my dad is the only one I know who can make it that way without it discoloring. I guess some people get lucky! And I think you’ll like the parsley in this recipe- it adds a nice subtle flavor :)
Sandra @ Kitchen Apparel says
Blanching…very interesting!!! Thanks for the awesome tip :) And adding parsley too sounds yummy. I’m gonna give this a try, because I am also swimming in herbs…especially basil.
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I love the basil-parsley combo of your pesto, so good!
Emilie says
Thanks Laura!! Ironically, adding parsley is the only way I know how to make pesto! It’s our family recipe :)
Mimi says
I love the addition of parsley. I feel it’s an under used and appreciated herb! Beautiful photos!
Emilie says
Hi Mimi! Yes, me too- I happen to love parsley in pesto. It adds such lovely flavor & color to this recipe. Thanks for stopping by :)