Fresh Homemade Basil Pesto –Homemade pesto is one of the best ways to enjoy fresh basil. Our Pesto recipe uses fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and extra virgin olive oil. Make it in about 10 minutes!
What Is Pesto?
Historians believe pesto was a product of Genoa, Italy. The word pesto is a derivative of the Italian verb “pestare,” which means “to pound or crush.” For hundreds of years, pesto was made by pounding the ingredients in a mortar and pestle. It dates back to Roman times when Italians would crush nuts with herbs and garlic. The mortar and pestle are still in use in Italy to this day.
Some pesto recipes call for Romano cheese. Don’t be fooled. Other pesto recipes often call for walnuts. Again, stick with the authentic, Italian recipe and use Parmesan Cheese and Pine Nuts (pignolas).
Dried basil is ok for flavoring sauces, soups, and other dishes. But its flavor is very different from fresh basil. You need fresh basil leaves to make Fresh Homemade Basil Pesto.
Fresh Homemade Basil Pesto Recipe (Ricetta Pesto di Basilico)
Basil pesto darkens when exposed to air. When you store it, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic is touching the top of the pesto and not allowing the pesto to have contact with air. The pesto will stay greener longer that way.
Shout Out on the YouTube Video – Stelly Grills N Chills. He does a meatless Monday. Lazy Wednesday and game day appetizers, to name a few of his segments.
He also has a Facebook page by the same name. Check him out and check out some of his outstanding recipes.
Fresh Pesto with Burrata and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Equipment
- Cuisinart or blender
Materials
- 2 oz. fresh basil
- 4 cloves fresh garlic
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 8 oz. Burrata cheese
- 1 lb Gemelli pasta or other short cut pasta like fusilli, penne rigate, orecchiette
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Optional: roast 1 pint of yellow cherry tomatoes tossed in olive oil, s&p in a 400 degree oven until they burst, about 20 minutes.
- Optional: lightly toast pine nuts in dry skillet before adding to food processor
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil, drop in pasta.
- Combine basil, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor.
- Leave the motor running and slowly add olive oil.
- Shut the motor off, scrape down the sides.
- Add parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to taste and process briefly.
- Toss pasta in pesto sauce until well coated.
- Add the roasted cherry tomatoes into the pot with the pesto pasta
- Spoon into bowls and top with burrata.
- Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
- Season with freshly cracked black pepper and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Cooking Secrets for Men
Please “like” our YouTube Videos and follow us on our YouTube Channel. Cooking Secrets For Men is also on other Social Media sites Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.
“Cooking Secrets for Men” has recently been listed as one of the Top 30 Men’s Cooking Websites on the Internet. You can read that article here and see where we rank for Men’s Cooking Websites.
If you like this recipe and video for Fresh Homemade Basil Pesto, then you should try our recipe for Pasta with White Beans and Sausage.
(Free) Just released – E-Cookbook Vol 3 – “Appetizers” now available for free download at this link
E-Cookbook Series Vol. 2 – “Soups & Stews” is available for free download
E-Cookbook Vol 1 – “Sauces you’ll use – A lot”, is available for free download
All of our e-cookbooks are available on our download page. The next e-Cookbook will be Vol 4 – Pasta!, which will be written in English and Italian and should be out soon!
You can submit your own special recipe to us. We would love to recreate it and give you the credit. And make a YouTube Video. Just go to this link “Recipe & YouTube Suggestions”. And at the top of our home page. Click this link for an example of a Recipe Submission from a Subscriber.
And we are always looking to collaborate with other bloggers. If interested in a conversation about some sort of collaboration, please contact me.
Comments or questions, please contact us at cookingsecretsformen@gmail.com
Discover more from Cooking Secrets for Men
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Easy and delicious!
Wow Charlie, your basil plants are fabulous. Pesto is one of the best things ever and can be used in so many ways. I know this is a good recipe to have in your pocket.
I have a blogger friend – Stefan gourmet – who actually experimented with a mortar and pestle vs. a blender/food processor, and he said the mortar and pestle pesto was so much better! The problem for me is that I make jars and jars at a time, without the cheese, and freeze the pesto, so there’s no way I could do it without a blender!
Thanks for stopping by. Happy Thanksgiving and have a great holiday season
Well, Chef, I would say that using a moral and pestle might provide slightly better overall flavor, but we are Cooking Secrets for Men. So we look for shortcuts and the easiest way to prepare tasty meals. At a nice Italian restaurant, I would probably find the manual method providing a better taste. Very possibly. But at home, I don’t need the best. I just want it to taste good. And not take a lot of time, effort, and energy. I use Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice and Bob Evans mashed potatoes in some of my meals. I’m a simple guy. Give me the Cuisinart any day to chop stuff up. But I do truly thank you for taking the time to comment. It is a very small percentage of people who take the time to comment and it is appreciated.
Lovely! I love making basil pesto. It tastes so fresh and is easily paired with so many things!
Pingback: Free e-Cookbook Vol 4 -"Pasta" Available - Cooking Secrets for Men
Pingback: Roasted Spaghetti Squash Rings Recipe - Cooking Secrets for Men