Love, love, love Basil Pesto
I remember the first time I tried Pesto, my mother-in-law made it for me in the early 90s. Although I am no longer married, (yes I'm a happy single lady!). she was a great inspiration and an amazing cook. She had a talent for combining flavors and making delicious recipes, such as her Basil Pesto, which was one of my favorites. It's amazing to think how ahead of her time she was, as not many people were making Pesto thirty years ago.
Amy and I have since tweaked her recipe to make it spicy, incorporating Habanero or Thai peppers. We have also made some modifications to reduce the calorie count by cutting back on some of the oil and cheese. Even with these changes, our adapted recipe still manages to be both delicious and guilt-free.
What we changed
We learned that reducing the amount of oil used significantly cuts the calories without compromising on taste. However, we still use olive oil as it is an essential component of Pesto and it has numerous health benefits.
We had to find a replacement for pine nuts because Amy has a tree nut allergy. Additionally, pine nuts can be costly, so using an alternative was beneficial for our budget. Peanuts work, but they do alter the taste, so we switched to sunflower seeds. We've also tried pumpkin and squash seeds, and they work great as an alternative.
Our adapted Pesto maintains the same consistency as the original, but we reduced the amount of olive oil and cheese from ½ cup to ⅓ cup each. Making Pesto is a cinch, and the only tricky part is removing the leaves from the stems.
For our next Pesto recipe, we plan on experimenting with roasted garlic instead of fresh garlic to create an even more flavorful dish.
Ways to use Pesto
We enjoy Pesto with Pizza, Pesto Chicken, Pasta and shrimp, or with a spicy spinach salad. Another fun pesto sauce that we enjoy during the summer is this creamy basil pesto sauce.
Do you have any favorite ways to have Pesto? Please share with us.
TIPS:
- To make the pesto, start by measuring the oil. Many recipes call for a lot of oil, but it's not necessary. The flavor comes from the basil, not the oil.
- Adding lemon zest can really enhance the pesto flavor.
- The most challenging part of the recipe is separating the leaves from the stems. Pour a glass of wine and take your time with the process to make it more enjoyable.
- Pesto freezes well and can be stored in a quart-sized freezer bag. It will last all winter in the freezer. Alternatively, you can freeze it in ice cube trays, but it won't last as long. However, using ice cube trays is more convenient. It's up to personal preference.
Spicy Basil Pesto
A Few Things We Use
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Basil Packed
- 3 Cloves Garlic cloves 2 - 3 garlic cloves (depending on size)
- Lemon zest
- 1 Lemon Juice
- ½ Cup Parsley
- 2 Tablespoon Sunflower seeds Or Pine nuts, or pepitas seeds
- ⅓ Cup Olive Oil
- ⅓ Cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 Habanero These are spicy (Optional!!!)
Instructions
- To make the pesto, gather all the ingredients required.
- Remove the basil leaves from the stems.2 Cups Basil
- Zest the lemonLemon zest
- Juice the lemon1 Lemon Juice
- Add the basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, parmesan cheese, and sunflower seeds or pepitas seeds to a food processor. If you want to make it spicy, add a habanero or serrano pepper.2 Cups Basil, 3 Cloves Garlic cloves, Lemon zest, ½ Cup Parsley, 2 Tablespoon Sunflower seeds, ⅓ Cup Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon Sea Salt, 1 Habanero, 1 Lemon Juice
- Start blending the ingredients
- Slowly add Olive Oil⅓ Cup Olive Oil
- After about 3 or 4 minutes of blending in a food processor, the Pesto is ready to eat.
- We usually make a large amount and freeze it for future dishes. Put the Pesto in a Ziploc bag and place it flat in the freezer. Remember to date the Pesto. It usually lasts in the freezer for 3 to 6 months.
Please let us know what you think