Create the Life You Love
Basil Pesto
Prep Time
5 minutes total time
Cooking Time
0 minutes
Yields
1 cup
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups basil leaves
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more for a smoother pesto
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, optional
- Mint
- Cilantro
- Parsley
- Spinach
- 1 cup arugula
- 1 cup chopped kale
- 1 cup cubed raw zucchini
- 4 artichoke hearts
- 1 roasted red pepper
- 1/2 an avocado
- 1/2 cup kale stems, boil until soft
- Walnuts
- Pistachios
- Almonds
- Pecans
- Pepitas
- Hemp Seeds
- Nutritional yeast, in place of the parmesan
- Pinches of red pepper flakes
- 1 charred jalapeño
- 2 to 4 sun-dried tomatoes
- Splash of honey or maple syrup, if your pesto is too sharp
Basic Basil Pesto:
Variation: replace the basil with:
Variation: replace half the basil with:
Variation: replace the pine nuts with:
Variation: for something extra, add:
Directions
- In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and pulse until well chopped.
- Add the basil and pulse until combined.
- With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until combined. Add the parmesan cheese, if used, and pulse to briefly combine. For a smoother pesto, add more olive oil.
Credit
Love and Lemons