I make quite a bit of pesto in the summertime and it seems I have posted variations on our pesto recipe a few times too (here it is with garlic scapes, and then again with arugula). Somehow I keep skipping our classic basil version though. Which is a real shame as it is really so delicious! So without further delay, here is Cubit’s Classic Basil Pesto recipe.
It’s really quite simple and you can add or subtract ingredients based on what’s in season or your personal food rules (ie please feel free to just skip the cheese, this recipe can handle it).
4 cups of washed basil with stems and flowers removed
1 cup of pine nuts
¼ – ½ cup of olive oil
5 cloves of garlic
3/4 cups of parmesan cheese (if dairy free just skip the cheese)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon of salt
We mostly use the food processor but the mortar and pestle works just fine for small batches and mashing basil is an excellent toddler activity.
We start with the nuts and oil, move on to the garlic with salt and pepper, then add the cheese, and lastly toss in the basil.
We eat it on potato leek pizza, spread it on sandwiches and most importantly, heap it onpasta.
Etsy has such wonderful things and some of my favourites are included in this post. The gorgeous Mortar & Pestal is from Canadian woodworker Brenda Watts’ Cattails Woodwork. Our cutting boards are from Timber Green Woods. Lastly, I have fallen in love with these stitched ball jar labels from mud and twig and have been using them for everything. Now go make pesto!
I like changing out the nuts too. For some reason, pine nuts are ridiculously expensive here, but pistachios and walnuts are a nice sub-in.