I know, I know, everyone says that their recipe is the best ever! How can I say that mine is the best? Well, I know everyone has their preferences, so I guess in all honesty, it depends on what you like about pesto. For me, this one hits all the right notes- delicious smelling basil, mild and creamy nuts, and spreadable for sandwiches and toast!
It’s fall, but the basil is still going strong, so I thought it’s time to share this wonderful condiment!
- Herbs: The most classic and possibly the most famous herb that is used in pesto is basil. However, there are lots of things you can use in pesto instead of basil. Carrot tops, kale, cilantro, arugula, spinach… there’s even a version of pesto that uses sun-dried tomatoes. I definitely suggest trying different recipes and figuring out what you like best. The nice thing about the different greenery is that you can make fresh pesto almost any time of year. Spinach is usually ready in the spring. Carrot tops are good for spring, fall, and maybe even winter!
- Nuts: The basil pesto that we’re often most familiar with uses pine nuts. Pine nuts do have a particular creaminess and mild flavor that not all nuts have. However, other nuts are used in different versions of pesto. That sun-dried tomato version I mentioned above uses almonds. I’ve heard of people who like to use walnuts. I like to use filberts (hazelnuts) because they have almost the same creaminess that pine nuts do, and they have a very mild flavor, making them perfect to highlight the flavor combination of the basil and garlic.
- Texture: This recipe is quite thick. That’s honestly the reason I think it’s the best. I want to spread my pesto on toast or a sandwich without it disappearing into the bread or squishing out the sides – and this pesto absolutely works for that. But it’s also very easy to toss in a pasta sauce. I also love to spread it over my roasted chicken thighs. It makes such a great topping!
- Freezability: Pesto is great to freeze! It doesn’t ruin the texture at all. I make a big batch and after I’ve eaten my fill of the freshly made stuff, I freeze it in silicone muffin cups. After they’re completely frozen, I pop them out of the cups and store in a freezer bag in the freezer for anytime I want to add this amazing and delicious spread onto something. Just remove from the freezer for a couple hours (or overnight to defrost in the fridge) ahead of time.
Ok, ok – should we get to it? Scroll down to the recipe! What’s your favorite way to use pesto? Let me know in the comments!
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The Best Basil Pesto
Servings: 10 servings
Equipment
- food processor
- Kitchen Scales
Ingredients
- 80 grams filberts (hazelnuts)
- 52 grams garlic, peeled
- 90 grams parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 88 grams basil leaves, stripped off of stems
- 120 grams olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Grind the filberts in the food processor until they are very fine, but not yet becoming a butter.
- Add in the garlic and parmesan and process until well combined. Scrape the sides as necessary.
- Add in the basil and process until well combined. You may need to scrape the sides to make sure the basil leaves really mix in.
- Drizzle in the olive oil slowly, until everything is well-combined.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Definitely add at least a little salt, it really heightens the flavor.
Notes
You can add more olive oil if you want the pesto to be more of a sauce and less of a spread.
This recipe is perfect for freezing. Fill up a silicone muffin pan and pop in the freezer. Once frozen, pop them out and save them in a freezer bag in the freezer until you’re ready to use!
I like to use this as a sandwich spread, or just on toast topped with a fried egg. But it’s also delicious tossed in some pasta sauce!
You can easily size this recipe up or down based on how much of each ingredient you have, or the size of your food processor. Simply multiply all the ingredients by the same amount. For instance, if you want to increase the recipe by 50%, multiply the amounts by 1.5. If you want to decrease by 40%, multiply the ingredients by .4
