Sauces and dips
Basil Pesto Sauce
Pesto sauce is one of the most famous Italian sauces. It is easy to make and relies on fresh basil, pine nuts, and olive oil. Here are the details.
Total time40 min
Prep25 min
Cook15 min
Yield4 servings
DifficultyEasy
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Recipe tags
Sauces and dipsLevantVegetarianEgg free
Recipe story
Pesto.. or basil sauce.. is very well known in Italian cuisine. Here\'s how to make it
Ingredients
- a bunch of fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup toasted pine nuts or toasted almonds
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 4 cloves garlic
- olive oil
- a few sprigs of parsley - optional
- Use only as much oil as needed until the mixture is very smooth and saucy, yet still thick
- Use pesto sauce with pasta if you'd like to flavor it with basil
- Note: adding parsley makes the sauce greener
- Layal Fawaz
- To make pasta with pesto, see this link: Pasta with pesto sauce
Method
- Place all ingredients except the oil in a blender and season with salt to taste
- Process, then drizzle the oil in a thin stream over the mixture
- Continue until the mixture is very smooth and creamy, yet thick
- Use pesto with pasta, or cook it to infuse with the basil flavor
- Note: Adding parsley makes the sauce greener
Notes and serving ideas
- Pasta with Basil Pesto
