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Judging by my completely unscientific sample size of about half a dozen friends, most people make pesto with a food processor. But there’s a better way. Two, actually, but not everybody wants to do it the way the nonnas do in Italy. Good thing there’s a much easier way that’s just as tasty!
One of my favorite food writers is Ella Quittner. She tests things an insane number of times to figure out the best way to do something. She’s who I would be if I had follow-through. (Sometimes I do test things as many times as she does, but it takes me literally years.)
When she tackled pesto, I switched how I made bigger batches of pesto immediately. I still use my own recipe, and I use my mortar and pestle for a small batch. But when I’m making more than that, I now use my immersion blender, the method that came out second-best in her tests.
I knew that the mortar and pestle method would come out on top. Sometimes the old ways really are best. But I was surprised that the runner-up was an immersion blender, something I’d never thought of using to make pesto! (Even though I use it to make hummus, a killer recipe that I need to get onto this site some day.)
Tonight I was eating dinner alone, so I made a half recipe, with Genovese basil from my Aerogardens. When I have a lot of basil, I make as much pesto as I can and freeze it in ice cube trays, then pop those pesto cubes out into a plastic bag and use them all winter.
One important note: If you’re going to freeze the pesto, skip the cheeses…for now. But definitely stir them in when you defrost and use the pesto!
So here are two recipes, one with a mortar and pestle, and one with an immersion blender. Gustare! (That’s Italian for enjoy.)
Basil Pesto with a Mortar and Pestle
Want to channel an Italian grandma? Make pesto the old fashioned way!
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic
- Rounded ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups packed basil leaves (about 3 ounces before removing stems, 2 ounces after)
- ½ ounce pine nuts (about 2 tablespoons)
- ¾ ounce shredded Parmesan cheese (about 3 packed tablespoons)
- ¼ ounce shredded Romano cheese (about 1 packed tablespoon)
- 2-3 tablespoons good olive oil, depending on how thin you want the pesto to be
- Big squeeze of lemon juice
Instructions
- Place the garlic and kosher salt into the mortar, and crush it with the pestle
- Add the basil and, using a circular motion, blend until smooth
- Add the pine nuts and using the same circular motion, blend until smooth
- Add the cheeses and use the same method to blend one last time, or stir the cheese in with a spoon if you want a little more texture
- Add the olive oil and stir with a spoon until the oil isn't seeping out or pooling anywhere
- Stir in the lemon juice
- Use immediately, or store in an airtight container with a little olive oil drizzled on top
Notes
Pesto freezes really well, but leave out the cheeses (make sure to add them later when you're using the pesto!). Freeze in an ice cube tray and then pop the cubes out into a baggie to store.
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Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 212Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 6mgSodium 289mgCarbohydrates 3gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 5g
Nutritional information is an estimate only.
Basil Pesto with an Immersion Blender
This is by far the easiest way to make fantastic pesto!
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 cups packed basil leaves (about 3 ounces before removing stems, 2 ounces after)
- ½ ounce pine nuts (about 2 tablespoons)
- Rounded ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ ounce shredded Parmesan cheese (about 3 packed tablespoons)
- ¼ ounce shredded Romano cheese (about 1 packed tablespoon)
- 2-3 tablespoons good olive oil, depending on how thin you want the pesto to be
- Big squeeze of lemon juice
Instructions
- Place the garlic clove, basil leaves, pine nuts, and salt into a tall container
- Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and uniform, scraping the sides down with a rubber spatula a couple of times
- Add the cheeses and blend again, or stir the cheeses in with a spoon if you want more texture
- Add the olive oil and stir with a spoon until the oil isn't seeping out or pooling anywhere
- Stir in the lemon juice
- Use immediately, or store in an airtight container with a little olive oil drizzled on top
Notes
Pesto freezes really well, but leave out the cheeses (make sure to add them later when you're using the pesto!). Freeze in an ice cube tray and then pop the cubes out into a baggie to store.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases (but you won't pay anything extra!)
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 212Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 6mgSodium 289mgCarbohydrates 3gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 5g
Nutritional information is an estimate only.