Homemade Pesto

Name: Homemade Pesto
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cup Fresh Basil Leaves; 1 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 1 1/4 cup Grated Asiago Cheese; 1 cup Pine Nuts; 3 small Lemons; 1 tbsp Minced Garlic; 1 tbsp White Balsamic Vinegar; 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt; 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper; 1 dash White Pepper

Dan Krause @cook_3272239

Chattanooga, Tennessee

I needed a recipe to make use of a lot of fresh basil from a friend's garden. This is a slight variation on a classic Italian sauce/spread that is very versatile.

Dan Krause @cook_3272239

Chattanooga, Tennessee

I needed a recipe to make use of a lot of fresh basil from a friend's garden. This is a slight variation on a classic Italian sauce/spread that is very versatile.

Saved

Ingredients

2 cupFresh Basil Leaves
1 1/2 cupExtra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/4 cupGrated Asiago Cheese
1 cupPine Nuts
3 smallLemons
1 tbspMinced Garlic
1 tbspWhite Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 tspKosher Salt
1/2 tspGround Black Pepper
1 dashWhite Pepper

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Steps

1

In a dry non stick skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium-low heat until they are golden brown and give off a fragrant nutty smell.
Note: Pine nuts can be expensive, the most economical source for them has been Sam's Club.
2

Using a micro planar, remove the zest (just the yellow surface) from all 3 lemons and then juice all 3 lemons. Strain the juice to remove seeds and pulp.
3

Add basil (firmly pack the basil into the measuring cup when portioning), pine nuts, garlic, juice (strained) and zest of the lemons, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and white pepper to a food processor.
Note: Minced garlic in a jar from your local grocery store works great and saves time. Using jarred garlic is preferred as it has less bite than fresh garlic.
4

Process the ingredients until a paste is formed.
Note: You may have to scrape the sides of the container occasionally to get an even paste like mixture.
5

Using a micro planar, grate the Asiago cheese and add to the food processor.
Note: Parmesan or Romano cheese work just as well as Asiago. The slightly higher moisture content of Asiago makes for a creamier end product with a smoother flavor.
6

While food processor is running, add the olive oil.
Note: you can add more or less olive oil as necessary to reach your desired consistency for the pesto.
7

Serve and enjoy. This can be used on pasta, sandwiches, salads, or anything else you want.
8

This recipe makes a large amount of pesto. Pesto can be frozen for later use. A ziplock bag or a nice cube tray work well for this.