Last Updated on March 13, 2023

I love pesto! It is so simple, versatile and full of flavor. I rely on it alot in the summer because it’s meant to be served cold or at room temperature. There seems to be endless ways to use pesto. It definitely works for me!

Because of this love of pesto I have, I’ve tried to grow basil for the past few summers. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much luck with it. I always believed basil was an easy herb to grow, but it just isn’t for me. I tend to it and use it, but yet it always seems to flower and stop producing leaves on me. I guess I’m not as diligent as I need to be. If any of you have some tips on growing basil for me, I’d definitely love to hear them!

Print Recipe

Basic Pesto

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Keyword: pesto

Ingredients

3 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup pine nuts or diced walnuts, optional
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 – 1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp each salt and pepper, plus more to taste, if needed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

In a blender or food proccesor, blend/pulse the basil leaves, optional pine nuts or walnuts and garlic. Drizzle in 1/3 c. olive oil while continuing to process. Add remaining olive oil as needed to achieve desired consistency. Add salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.

Notes

I tend to leave out the nuts because the pesto is much more frugal that way. It still tastes just as delicious!

Tip: If you have extra pesto, freeze in an ice cube tray. The taste stays the same but the consistency loses a little something in the process. So the pesto cubes are perfect to add to marinara sauce or soups in the winter time.

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