Homemade Lemon Basil Pesto with Toasted Pine Nuts

Author Danijela Armitage

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 5

Serving Size: cup

Rating:

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Ingredients:

¼ cup pinenuts
2 tightly packed cups of fresh basil leaves (no stems)
⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove
1 lemon (1 - 1 ½ Tbsp juice and 1 tsp finely grated zest)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
⅓ cup mild extra virgin olive oil, or more for a smoother consistency

Method:

In a dry pan, lightly toast the pine nuts over a medium-low heat until aromatic and a you notice a slight colour change. Keep a watchful eye on the pan, so they don't burn or get too golden! Remove from heat and let cool.
Prep the other ingredients while the pine nuts cool. Wash and thoroughly (but carefully) dry the basil leaves - make sure to remove as much excess moisture as possible (a salad spinner is good for this). The leaves cannot be wet. Zest and juice lemon. Peel garlic.
Place the basil, nuts, cheese, garlic, lemon zest, juice (start with 1 Tbsp) and a pinch of salt and pepper into a small food processer or a blender.
Pulse a few times until roughly chopped and combined. You may need to scrap the side down with a spatula a few times.
With the food processor running, gradually pour in the olive oil through the hole in the lid. I find it easiest to put the oil measure into a milk jug with a spout and pour it in from there.
Turn off the food processor. Taste test and adjust seasoning. Do you think it needs more salt or pepper? The remaining lemon juice? More garlic? Do you want it thin by adding more olive oil? Make it yours.

Notes:

A note on seasoning: When balancing the flavours of pesto, each ingredient plays a part. Keep these below in mind:

Salt will enhance all of the overall flavours, making them come more alive. If you feel the dish is lacking flavour, but doesn't taste salty, then add a bit more salt. Do this slowly, a small pinch at a time.
Lemon juice will add acidity and brightness. Add more lemon juice, if desired, to taste.
Garlic adds pungency and aroma. Start with 1 clove, and if you want more, add another small clove or ¼ - ½ clove to start.

Removing the garlic: If you need to skip the garlic, make sure to also reduce the lemon juice - start with ½ Tbsp, taste test then add more if desired. Garlic's savoury and slightly pungent taste helps mellow out the acidity of the lemon. When you omit the garlic, it can lead to a more pronounced flavour of other ingredients, such as lemon.