This easy-peasy home made pesto tastes so super fresh, it will make you never want to eat mass produced supermarket pesto again!
You will need:
A large bunch of fresh greens (you can use basil, parsley, coriander, mint, carrot tops, spinach, kale, nasturtium leaf... get creative! I often use a combination, depending what I have on hand)
A handful of nuts (you can use pretty much any soft nuts - pine nuts are traditionally used but other options include walnuts, cashews, almonds, pistachios, or even sunflower seeds)
1-2 cloves of garlic (peeled) - depending on your personal taste
A small amount of grated parmesan cheese (this is completely optional, and can be omitted or substituted for nutritional yeast, if you wanted to make vegan pesto)
Approx. 1/2 cup neutrally flavoured oil
A good squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground salt and pepper
What to do:
Place all the ingredients except for the oil into a food processor and start processing on a low speed, slowly drizzling the oil into the processor as you mix. Continue processing until the ingredients are well combined - you may prefer a chunkier pesto or keep mixing until you get a finer blend, it's totally up to you. That's it! Beautiful, fresh home made pesto is as simple as that.
Transfer your pesto into a storage container, pack it in well, and pour a thin layer of oil over the top to help preserve it and keep it looking vibrant. Stores well in the fridge for a couple of weeks, or can also be frozen for use at a later date (I would recommend omitting the cheese from this recipe if you are planning on freezing your pesto).
Pesto is a superb spread for sandwiches, equally tasty on crackers, and is also perfect for tossing through some cooked pasta for a simple meal, or as the base for a pasta salad - just add chopped and stir fried or roast vege of your choice!