Classic Pesto Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the key ingredient in pesto sauce? ›

Often referred to as Pesto alla Genovese, the essential ingredients of pesto are an Italian green basil (preferably 'Genoa Green' or something similar), olive oil, garlic, parmesan, and pine nuts.

Add a pinch of salt if the basil tastes too bitter or the pesto needs more zing. Add more Parmesan if you'd like a creamier/cheesier pesto. If desired, you can thin out the pesto with more olive oil.

For pesto sauces, use about one jar of 5.6-ounce sauce for a 16-ounce package of pasta. The amount of pesto sauce needed for pasta per person would be about . 75 ounces of sauce for each 2 ounce (about 1 cup cooked) serving of pasta.

The term pesto translates roughly as paste, but with a variation in ingredients the texture of this uncooked Italian sauce can range from a thick puree to a stiff paste. Whatever the ingredients, making pesto is easy with a food processor technique called ”timing the pour.”

How to replace pine nuts? Pine nuts in pesto can easily be replaced by other nuts: walnuts, pistachios, almonds, and even sunflower seeds, are all a perfect pine nut replacement. You can even make your pesto based on otherwise wasted food, such as carrot greens.

Almonds. My personal favorite, almonds make an excellent substitute for pine nuts in pesto because of their mild, nutty flavor. I like to buy sliced, raw almonds and toast them myself in a pan on medium-low heat. Toasting almonds gives them a depth of flavor that makes just about any dish taste incredible.

The most common reason for pesto tasting bitter is that the olive oil is past its best and has started to turn rancid. If the pesto has been made in a food processor or blender, there's also the possibility that it has turned bitter from the crude, sheering action of the blades.

Anything sugary will work: granulated white sugar, honey, fruit juices, even sweet dessert wines. Acid in the form of vinegar or citrus juices can make a pesto taste less bitter and could even enhance the flavour of the sauce at the same time.

“Extra-virgin olive oil contains bitter tasting polyphenols coated by fatty acids, which prevent them from dispersing. If the oil is emulsified in a food processor, these polyphenols get squeezed out and the liquid mix turns bitter.

Its scarcity, plus the fact that the plants are picked roots, soil, and all to ensure that only juvenile leaves make it into pesto, makes it extraordinarily expensive and something that only premium, artisan pesto makers can justify using.

Is it OK to eat pesto everyday? ›

A. While pesto has impressive amounts of nutrition, it's still not the healthiest sauce. It would be best to eat it in moderation because pesto contains fats and calories from olive oil and nuts. Moreover, it is higher in fat and calories than most tomato-based sauces.

Pine nuts are classically used in pesto and toasting them before you add them allows their flavor to shine. Looking for a great recipe? Try adding them to Food Network Kitchen's Basil Pesto recipe.

It is the normal process of oxidation of basil. You can try to put more lemon juice and olive oil to prevent it, but my advice is to better freeze it! It will surely oxidize otherwise, when made fresh it is not really meant to be kept for a long time in the fridge.

BASIL, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, CANOLA OIL, PARMESAN CHEESE (CULTURED PART-SKIM MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), ROMANO CHEESE (CULTURED PART-SKIM COW'S MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), REDUCED LACTOSE WHEY, WATER, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, PINE NUTS, GARLIC PUREE, WALNUTS, SALT, SPICE.

Pesto is flavorful and bright and can liven up vegetables, pizza, potatoes and pasta. It's also high in healthy fats, which help keep you satisfied. Fat may be higher in calories, but it also takes longer to digest (read: satisfying) and allows your body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K.

While traditional pesto alla Genovese typically includes non-vegetarian cheeses (including Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Sardo), pesto by nature invites interpretation - feel free to substitute the traditional cheese for a vegetarian alternative.

What is the difference between regular basil and pesto basil? There is no specific variety of basil called "pesto basil" - the term "pesto basil" usually refers to the type of basil used to make traditional Genovese pesto, which is typically made with fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil.