Why buy pre-made pesto when you can make your own perfectly flavored pasta topping with only 5 ingredients!
Spring is here. Our lawns are green, the days are warmer. The nights, while not winter cold, still become chilly. It is that in between time when you wear shorts during the day and sweatshirts at night. On the food front that means that I still want a warm meal for dinner, but I want something bursting with spring-like flavors. This parsley or basil pesto fits that description perfectly. Cook some zoodles (or pasta), top it with a heaping scoop of pesto, and you have a bright spring meal!
The original post from April 2015
When I first tried pesto, I was in college, and I found it to be rather unenjoyable. So, for the next decade or so I avoided eating it. No pasta dishes, no dipping sauces, no appetizers that contained pesto. Then about a decade ago, I gave pesto another try, and I had a completely different reaction. Where had this salty, cheesy, garlicky creation been?
Maybe my palate had changed, maybe I had a better version of it. Whatever the reason I now was a fan of pesto. Of course, I thought that only basil-based pesto would be tasty. I couldn’t imagine using other herbs. Thus, if there were no basil in our herb garden or in the produce department, there would be no pesto. Again, I was proven incorrect. My husband made a pesto with parsley, and I found it to have a different, yet delicious flavor. This discovery makes shopping and cooking so much easier.
If you’re looking for a totally different spin on pesto, give this roasted red pepper pesto a try.
Homemade Parsley or Basil Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 cup basil or parsley leaves
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
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Measure basil or parsley, pushing down gently to get a full cup.
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Transfer to a food processor or Magic Bullet.
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Add garlic, walnuts, parmesan, and olive oil.
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Process until puréed. (If using Magic Bullet, you will need to shake it to complete this task.)
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Season with salt and pepper to taste.
