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Pesto

Sauce / dressing

Contributed by: BMC Teaching Kitchen

A jar overfilled with bright green, chunky, basil and walnut pesto

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Pesto comes to us from Genoa, Italy. Traditionally, it is made with pine nuts. Absolutely use them if you wish. This version calls for walnuts (rich in omega 3 fatty acids) or pepitas (rich in iron), both of which are less expensive than pine nuts. You can combine basil with other greens of choice such as arugula, spinach or kale (stems removed).  Whether you want a chunky or creamy pesto is up to you, depending on how long you blend the ingredients. Enjoy pesto mixed into hot pasta, spread on toast, fish, or chicken, dolloped on vegetables or mixed in with eggs.

Recipe yields ~ 1 ¾ cups pesto and nutrition facts assume 3 Tablespoons per serving.

 

 

Serves:
servings
Total Time:
20 minutes
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
0 minutes

Ingredients


Oil - ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, or other oil Lemon_Juice - 1-2 Tablespoons Garlic - 3 medium cloves, minced Salt - 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt OR ½ teaspoon table salt Black_Pepper - to taste Basil - 4 oz of leaves (about 5 cups, lightly packed)* OR parsley Walnuts - 4 oz (about 1 cup) raw walnut halves OR pepitas (pumpkin seeds) Parmesan_Cheese - 1.5 oz (½ cup), grated (optional)

Instructions

Step 1
Add oil, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, minced garlic, and greens to the food processor. Blend/process until the leaves are shredded to a paste.
Step 2
Add the walnuts or pepitas and blend/process. For a chunkier pesto, process less. For a smoothe pesto, process more, until a paste is formed.
Step 3
If using, stir in parmesan by hand so as not to heat (and begin to melt) the cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste, and additional lemon juice if desired.

Notes

*You can combine basil with other greens of choice such as arugula, spinach or kale (stems removed). Combined, all greens should weigh 4 oz.

Kale Pesto version

  • Kale - 2 cups packed, torn leaves, stems removed
  • Basil - 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
  • Nuts - ½ cup chopped nuts like walnuts, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, pepitas, pine nuts
  • Parmesan - ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
  • Oil - ¼ cup olive oil
  • Garlic - 2 cloves
  • Salt - ¼ teaspoon
  • Water - 3-4 Tablespoons, as needed

Pea Pesto version 

  • Peas - 1 cup frozen 
  • Parsley - 1 bunch OR basil
  • Lemon - 1, juiced 
  • Garlic - 2 cloves
  • Olive_oil - 3 Tablespoons
  • Walnuts - ¼ cup 
  • Salt - ½ teaspoon
  • Pepper - ½  teaspoon to taste

 

Nutrition Information

Calories:
216 Calories
Fat:
22
Saturated Fat:
3
Carbohydrates:
Net Carb: 3
Dietary Fiber:
1
Protein:
4
Sodium:
225