How To Make Pesto

Quick Pesto PERFECTION!

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Never buy the store-bought crap again! Pesto is so ridiculously easy to make and this recipe allows you to call the hsots on what ingredients you use.

We chose to make this in a mortar and pestle because we like the rustic, chunky consistency it delivers but if you like a finer pesto make it in the food processor or for a coarser consistency feel free to chop all the ingredients by hand.

Try a few variations on this dish:

Replace the basil with coriander, parsley, kale or baby spinach. You could even do a combination of herbs and greens.

Replace the almonds with pretty much any nut. Pecans, walnuts, macadamias and pine nuts are all delicious. If you have a nut allergy you could try replacing the almonds with pumpkin seeds (pepitas).

Looking for a dairy-free alternative? Replace Parmesan with nutritional yeast flakes. They give a great cheesy flavour and are so good for you.

This pesto will keep in the fridge in a sealed jar or container for up to 2 weeks.

Ingredients

1 clove garlic
200 mls olive oil
sea salt flakes
1 cup loose basil leaves
1/2 cup almonds toasted
zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

In a mortar and pestle add garlic with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt push with pestle to break up until it forms a paste.
Add basil, a little bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Grind the basil with the pestle to break it down into a paste.
Add almonds. Break up a little with pestle. Add remaining ingredients and pound with pestle to get desired consistency of pesto.