Quick Homemade Pesto

Name: Quick Homemade Pesto
Yield: Makes ½ cup
Ingredients: ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese; 1 clove garlic; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves or mixed with flat-leaf parsley; 2 tablespoons pine nuts; ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation info

Makes
½ cup

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Cast-Iron Cooking for Two

By Joanna Pruess

Published 2019

About

In my enthusiasm for basil, sometimes I end up with too much. Short of tossing it out, a couple of my favorite “saves” are as a small batch of pesto (which always gets used quickly in my house) or basil oil to drizzle on salads, grilled fish, or vegetables. Do not use the stems or damaged leaves.

Ingredients

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves or mixed with flat-leaf parsley
1 clove garlic

Sauce
Gluten-free
Vegetarian

Method

In a mini food processor, combine the basil and parsley, if using, with the garlic and pine nuts and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the oil and process until chunky smooth. Add the cheese and pulse until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If not using right away, scrape into a resealable jar, refrigerate, and use within a few weeks.