Basil pesto is another one of those foods that I adore and eat almost every day. Pasta with pesto was the standard “I can’t be bothered to cook” meal my mum would make for us and we loved it every time! Now that I occasionally have some time on my hands, and armed with my new Vitamix, I figured it was about time to make my own. So I did. And it’s amazing! It’s so simple as well and you can even mix it up and change the type of nuts to create flavour variations. But I’ll leave that part up to you, and leave you with the classic.
Ingredients:
3 relatively tightly packed cups fresh basil
1/2 cup pine nuts (around 60g)
1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup cashew nuts (optional – makes it much thicker)
1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional – gives it more of a cheesy flavour)
What to do:
- Add all the ingredients into your blender or food processor and blend until smooth. You might need to scrape down the sides a few times depending on the strength
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, as well as adding cashews if too thin, or more olive oil if too thick
- Enjoy with pasta or as a salad dressing! Or store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the fridge
