This Basil Pesto recipe is so easy to make – and easy on the wallet, too!!
I’ve taken up container gardening this year and I absolutely love it! Everything has turned out so well and I am finally at the harvest stage for several veggies and herbs. As I was looking around, I saw my basil plants had almost doubled in size within a week! I love basil so much and I’ve always heard “the more basil you pick, the more basil you get” so that is exactly what I did.
Making this basil pesto could not be any easier. In fact, it will probably take you longer to pick the basil leaves than it will to whip up this recipe. And this recipe is just the beginning to kicking all your future meals up a notch. You’ll be looking to throw this on anything and share it with everyone during summer barbecues.
Making Basil Pesto
The first thing you’ll need to do is gather a few simple ingredients. Traditional pesto is made with pine nuts, however I only had sunflower kernels on hand. This did not take away from the classic taste I was looking for and sunflower kernels are quite a bit cheaper – so this is definitely a budget friendly pesto!
You’ll want to wash your basil and dry it off as best as possible. Then you will toss all the ingredients into a blender (minus the salt) and pulse it several times until it turns into that classic pesto consistency. I used unsalted sunflower kernels and only stirred in a sprinkle of salt after it was done blending. That way I can fully control the amount of salt that goes into this pesto. I like the texture a little on the thicker side because I like to use it as a spread or in dips. However, this is a really forgiving recipe so if you prefer a thinner texture just drizzle in a little extra virgin olive oil while it’s in the blender (a tablespoon at a time).
This recipe yields 1 cup of pesto and it is so flavorful that a little goes a long way.
And there you have it! I told you it would take longer to pick the basil than it would to actually make pesto! It only took about 20-30 seconds using my Ninja blender system. I have had this blender for almost two years now and it is amazing and so versatile!! It’s really one of my very favorite kitchen items.
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Easy Basil Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 cup Basil (packed tight into measuring cup)
- 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 1/4 cup Sunflower Kernels (unsalted)
- 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash and dry basil leaves
- Add all ingredients, except the salt, to the blender. Pulse several times until it reaches pesto consistency. Scrape down the sides of the blender with a spatula as needed.
- Add salt to taste.
