This week, Roy decided that he wanted to make something light and fresh to use up some of the herbs which have gone mad in the garden recently. Roy had quite a lot of basil on hand and thought pesto might be just the perfect thing to enjoy in the warm weather. Many of his online friends buy pesto ready made, but Roy thinks it is so easy to make, and of course so delicious when it is absolutely fresh that he would share the recipe. So this week, Roy Creates Easy Peasy Basil Pesto.
You Will Need:
- Lots of basil. A large bunch will be fine.
- 1 small packet of pine nuts
- 4 cloves of garlic
- ¼ of a teaspoon of salt
- ½ a teaspoon of sugar
- 1/3 of a cup of olive oil
Traditional pesto has parmesan cheese in it too, and you can add some, but if Roy is keeping it for any length of time (which he often does, under a layer of oil) he finds it is better without.
Method:
- Put together your food processor. If you don’t have one, or want to use your hands more, you will need a large mortar and pestle.
- Pick of the basil leaves and wash them. Put the leave aside to dry
- Peel the cloves of garlic
- Put all of the ingredients into the food processor and pulse until everything is combined. You may need to add a little more oil
- Taste and adjust the salt and sugar if needed
- Roy served his pesto with pasta (you can add parmesan here to have that authentic flavour). This pesto is also great in a pasta salad, or as a base for a ricotta tart.
- Any leftover pesto, put in a clean, dry jar and cover with a thin layer of olive oil to keep it from oxidising.