Italian🥫 Sauces & condiments

Basil Pesto

Name: Basil Pesto
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 cups fresh basil leaves; 12 cashews; 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese; ½ cup extra virgin olive oil; 1 garlic; a pinch salt

⏱ 10 min

Fresh homemade basil pesto made with a quick blending technique to preserve vibrant green color and aromatic flavor. Uses toasted cashews as a traditional pine nut alternative, with blanched basil leaves combined with Parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil. Perfect for pasta, toast, or sandwiches.

Adapted from a video by Your Food Lab

How to make BASIL PESTO at Home | Pesto Pasta, Avocado Toast & Paneer Sandwich | Chef Sanjyot Keer

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

fresh basil leavesItalian basil, blanched and cooled before use2 cups
cashewslightly toasted and cooled; can substitute with peanuts, walnuts, or almonds12
Parmesan cheesetraditional Italian Parmigiano Reggiano, grated or powdered; do not use processed cheese2 tbsp
extra virgin olive oilcan use 1/3 to 1/2 cup; must use extra virgin olive oil½ cup
garlicclove1
saltsea salt or regular salt, do not add too mucha pinch

Steps

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1
Toast 12 cashews in a pan over light heat until fragrant.
2
Transfer the toasted cashews to a bowl and let them cool to room temperature.
3
Set up blanching station with hot boiling water on one side and ice-cold water on the other. Briefly blanch 2 cups of basil leaves in the hot water, then immediately shock them in ice water. Drain and squeeze out excess water. This preserves the bright green color.
4
Place the blanched basil leaves, cooled cashews, 1 clove of garlic, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, and a pinch of salt into a food processor.
5
Blend quickly until all ingredients are combined. Do not blend for too long to avoid generating heat. Ensure the oil emulsifies well with the paste and the color remains bright green.
6
Transfer the pesto to an airtight glass jar. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 2-3 days with a thin layer of oil on top. For longer storage, pour into ice cube trays, freeze, then transfer frozen cubes to a freezer bag and use within a month.

Basil Pesto

Ingredients

Steps

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