5-Minute Pesto ‹ Glitter Spice

Oh my god, it is basilpalooza at the farmers market and I am in love! I am obsessed with basil and I wish that it were available in this quantity all of the time. Since it is not I have to find a way to capture this magical summer gift, so that I can enjoy it year round. This is where the 5-minute pesto comes in. I can’t stand to see the basil that I buy go bad, but there is no way we can eat that much before it does. To solve this problem, I have been whipping the basil up into a quick and easy pesto that I have been freezing to enjoy at my own pace.

I have been messing with my pesto recipes for years and I always seem to over complicate it, and it never seems to turn out right. I finally decided to take a few steps back and just start by combining the 5 basic ingredients that make up a good pesto. To my surprise I did not have to do much more than that…well maybe just add a little salt and pepper! So stop toasting your pine nuts and investing in fancy Parmesan cheese and go back to the basics. You will probably be able to make the pesto quicker than you can read this recipe 🙂

Ingredients

1.5 Cups Fresh Basil Leaves
4 Cloves Garlic, peeled
3 TBS Pine Nuts
1/3 Cup Fresh Grated Parmesan
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Combine basil, garlic, pine nuts and Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor or a Vitamix blender.

2. With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream until the sauce is blended to your desired consistency. I find that I like mine a little chunky so I blend it just before it turns into a paste.

3. Add salt and pepper to taste and more olive oil if you need to thin it out a bit.

4. Store your pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze it in small containers and thaw it our as you need it throughout the next few months.