Remember how I started my very own herb garden? Well I am now on a basil overload and decided that a batch of pesto was necessary! I changed up the traditional recipe a tad so I wanted to share it with you all! I loved how with this recipe I was able to taste the nuttiness of the pine nuts and the freshness of the basil. Delish!
It really is nice having some fresh herbs to work with. I can’t wait to have a little more outdoor space so that I can increase my herb garden. :)
Lets get started! First – gather your ingredients!
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Fresh Pesto
About 1 cup of packed basil leaves.
1/2 cup of pine nuts
1/2 cup of olive oil
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 tsp of pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1. Place all your ingredients (except the olive oil) in your blender or food processor. Mix until ingredients are grinded.
2. Slowly start adding olive oil to the mixture. Continue to mix. For a thinner pesto just add a little more olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Depending on how much spiciness you like – play around with the amount of pepper flakes you add to the pesto. I found 1 teaspoon to be a good amount but feel free to skip that part if you dislike spicy foods.
You can store the pesto in the fridge for a few days or you can freeze it in small batches. One of my pesto suggestions is nice and simple – cook a little pasta and then toss in a few tablespoons of pesto. You can also make a little pesto toast by scooping some pesto onto a nice slice of bread and toasting it for a few minutes. Bam! Dinner is ready! ;)
xo,
Meli
Images + Recipe by Blush + Jelly
