Today I’m sharing a recipe for classic pesto! As you may have gathered, pesto is one of my favorite ingredients and I always have a jar in my refrigerator but I definitely prefer homemade pesto with fresh basil to any store-bought option.

This recipe calls for 5 cups of basil leaves but it can easily be scaled down to use whatever quantity you have.

Total Time Required: 20 minutes

Yields: 3 1/2 cups pesto

Ingredients

• 5 cups basil leaves, packed tightly
• 1 1/4 cup olive oil
• 10 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 cup pine nuts
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/4 cup graded parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Toast the pine nuts lightly on the stove and set aside
2. Wash and dry basil leaves and add to food processor bowl
3. Add olive oil and pulse until the basil starts to puree
4. Add garlic, toasted pine nuts, salt and pepper and process until smooth, wiping down the sides of the bowl halfway through
5. Add parmesan cheese and process until incorporated
6. Pour pesto into container for storage and cover lightly with olive oil (keeps the pesto green!)

Pesto freezes well so we used ice cube trays to separate the pesto into smaller portions for easier use but if you plan to use it sooner, store in the refrigerator. Enjoy!