Pesto

Name: Pesto
Yield: Makes 300ml (10½fl oz)
Ingredients: Small bunch of soft green herbs, such as basil, parsley, tarragon, dill, wild garlic or chervil (about 10g/⅓oz); 2 garlic cloves, peeled; 75 g (2½ oz) nuts (almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews and Brazil nuts are all good) or sunflower or pumpkin seeds, toasted; 75 g (2½ oz) nuts (almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews and Brazil nuts are all good) or sunflower or pumpkin seeds, toasted; 75 g (2½ oz) nuts (almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews and Brazil nuts are all good) or sunflower or pumpkin seeds, toasted; 75 g (2½ oz) nuts (almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews and Brazil nuts are all good) or sunflower or pumpkin seeds, toasted; 75 g (2½ oz) nuts (almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews and Brazil nuts are all good) or sunflower or pumpkin seeds, toasted; 75 g (2½ oz) nuts (almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews and Brazil nuts are all good) or sunflower or pumpkin seeds, toasted; 75 g (2½ oz) nuts (almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews and Brazil nuts are all good) or sunflower or pumpkin seeds, toasted; 75 g (2½ oz) nuts (almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews and Brazil nuts are all good) or sunflower or pumpkin seeds, toasted; 50 g (1¾ oz) hard cheese, such as Parmesan or Cheddar; 50 g (1¾ oz) hard cheese, such as Parmesan or Cheddar; 50 g (1¾ oz) hard cheese, such as Parmesan or Cheddar; 1 pitted date, or ½ tsp honey; 1 pitted date, or ½ tsp honey; 100 ml (3½ oz/scant ½ cup) extra virgin olive oil; 60 g (2 oz) soft green leaves, such as spinach or rocket (arugula) or 3 handfuls of hardy green leaves; 60 g (2 oz) soft green leaves, such as spinach or rocket (arugula) or 3 handfuls of hardy green leaves; 60 g (2 oz) soft green leaves, such as spinach or rocket (arugula) or 3 handfuls of hardy green leaves; 60 g (2 oz) soft green leaves, such as spinach or rocket (arugula) or 3 handfuls of hardy green leaves; Small bunch of soft green herbs, such as basil, parsley, tarragon, dill, wild garlic or chervil (about 10g/⅓oz); Small bunch of soft green herbs, such as basil, parsley, tarragon, dill, wild garlic or chervil (about 10g/⅓oz); Small bunch of soft green herbs, such as basil, parsley, tarragon, dill, wild garlic or chervil (about 10g/⅓oz); Small bunch of soft green herbs, such as basil, parsley, tarragon, dill, wild garlic or chervil (about 10g/⅓oz); Small bunch of soft green herbs, such as basil, parsley, tarragon, dill, wild garlic or chervil (about 10g/⅓oz); Small bunch of soft green herbs, such as basil, parsley, tarragon, dill, wild garlic or chervil (about 10g/⅓oz); Pinch of salt

Preparation info

Makes
300 ml

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Love Vegetables

By Anna Shepherd

Published 2024

About

I usually mix up a combination of herbs and other green leaves, but feel free to use one or the other. If I have one tip from this recipe that could improve the outcome of countless others, it would be this: please toast those nuts. The concentration in flavour will make all the difference.

Ingredients

60 g (2 oz) soft green leaves, such as spinach or rocket (arugula) or 3

Preserve
Sauce
Gluten-free
Vegetarian

Method

If you are using hardy green leaves, pick the softer part of the leaves and wash well. Discard the stalks. Transfer the leaves to a pan of boiling water for 30 seconds before draining and immediately plunging into ice cold water to preserve the bright green colour (if using softer leaves, such as spinach or rocket, skip this step).

Lift the greens out of the water and squeeze out as muc