Perfect Pesto Recipe

Perfect Pesto

Simple yet classic, pesto sauce as we know it originated in Liguria, a coastal region of north-western Italy. Pesto is traditionally prepared with a mortar and pestle using a combination of basil, crushed garlic, parsley, grated hard cheese, pine nuts, and a little olive oil.

Although you may associate pesto sauce as a sauce for pasta, it can also bring new life to flatbread and makes a great substitute for pizza sauce when making flatbread pizza. Lightly brush it on your cooked chicken breast or fish to spice things up. Mix in some of this pesto sauce to add gusto to your veggies. Just remember, a little goes a long way!

Note: Avoid exposing pesto sauce to prolonged heat as the basil in the pesto can become bitter.

At a Glance Info

Time to Prepare: About 10 minutes, start to finish
Nutritional Info: 1 tablespoon – 48 calories, 5g fat, <1g carbohydrates – <1g fiber, <1g protein, 11mg sodium
Diet Restrictions: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free option, Vegetarian, Low-Carb, Low-Sodium, Vegan option
Additional Info: High in monounsaturated (“good”) fat from olive oil

Ingredients

1 bunch Fresh Basil, stems removed
½ bunch Fresh Parsley, stems removed
½ t Garlic, minced
3 T Olive Oil
1 T Pine Nuts (Pignoli)
3 T Parmesan-Reggiano cheese, grated
1 T Water (if too thick)

Makes: 10 servings, 1 T each

Dietary Options
Gluten-free: as prepared
Dairy-Free option: omit cheese
Vegetarian: as prepared
Low-Carb: as prepared
Low-Sodium: as prepared
Vegan option: omit cheese

Omit pine nuts if sensitive to tree nuts.

Directions

Although I’ve gleaned from my reading that the best pesto is prepared with a mortar and pestle, I’m going to assume you: a) don’t have one handy, and b) if you do have one, you don’t have the time or inclination to use it right now.

Measure out the first four ingredients, into small food processor or blender, adding the olive oil last. With the spoon you used for measuring the olive oil, measure out the pine nuts onto a sheet of aluminum foil (this coats the pine nuts in just a little oil). Toast the pine nuts in a toaster oven using a light setting, or in a conventional oven set to 400 degrees for about two minutes, just until lightly browned. Add the pine nuts to the ingredients in the food processor.

Pulse the ingredients until a paste forms. You will need to stop the blender regularly to push the mixture down. Once a paste forms, stir in the cheese and the water if desired

Option: To make red pesto sauce, add low-sodium tomato paste to taste, about half a tablespoon works well.

Nutritionals

For 1 T of pesto:

Calories: 48
Fat: 5g
Carb: <1g, <1g fiber
Protein: <1g
Sodium: 11mg

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