Basil Pesto

In the past I ran my own market stall making pesto (8 varieties) from beetroot to the basic basil. Unfortunately due to ever increasing fees and laws, combined with lack of time I decided to finish up. I was doing this before there where so many varieties on the supermarket shelves, I loved it and so did my customers, so much so that I got offered to bottle the product by a company but decided against it. Anyway here is the recipe for the basil pesto.

Ingredients

125g Basil

50g Parmesan

2 cloves Garlic

60g Pinenuts

375ml Oil (could use olive oil or for a more affordable alternative use a more basic oil like canola)

Method

Well it’s simple and you can do it in two ways, 1) the traditional way in a pestle and mortar or 2) in a food processor. This recipe will be in a food processor but if you use the other method it is basically the same where you grind the ingredients to a paste then slowly add the oil.

1. 1. Add parmesan, garlic and pinenuts to the processor then blend to a chunky paste.
2. 2. Add half the basil and pulse a few times then the rest of the basil.
3. 3. Slowly add the oil whilst processing.
4. 4. Adjust seasonings accordingly.

There are also recipes for beetroot and dill pesto, lemon and saffron pesto, sunblushed tomato pesto (taste like bolognaise), capsicum pesto and pea and mint pesto.