Hello, today I am making simple 5-ingredient basil pesto pasta sauce. This is no-cook healthyrecipe which can be processed in less than 5 minutes after all the ingredients are prepared. Enjoy this Italian recipe from Genoa, Italy.
Fragrant basil pesto. Super quick, easy, and healthy. Serve immediately with pasta or bread. Don’t forget extra Parmesan cheese. Make pasta with the basil pesto. I just love the nutty basil flavored pasta. Also what a lovely green the pasta has!
5-Ingredient Basil Pesto Pasta Sauce – Easy No-Cook Recipe
Cook time
Total time
Serves: About 1½ cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup basil leaves (packed in 240ml cup)
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts*
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (25g)
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil** (80ml)
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
Instructions
- 1. First, add 1 cup of packed basil leaves into a food processor. Today I am using a mini processor because I am making pesto only for 4 (pasta) dishes. Then process until coarsely blended. Pesto can be made with mortar and pestle, which is actually a traditional way of making pesto.
- 2. And add in 2 tablespoons of pine nuts, 1 small clove of garlic, finely chopped, ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino preferred, ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper for seasoning. Then process until blended a little coarsely. And almonds can be a good substitute. I guess pine nuts are least likely available at home. And if you don’t like the strong flavor of extra virgin, just use olive oil. And if you use a bigger processor, this can be just one-stop recipe: add the ingredients all at once and blend.
Notes
1. If you have European pine nuts, please use them. And if you don't have any pine nuts, almonds can be a good pine nut substitute.
2. Olive oil can be used instead of extra virgin if you don't like strong flavor of extra virgin oil.
3. Add basil pesto in an air-tight container and cover with a layer of extra olive oil. Then it can be stored in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
2. Olive oil can be used instead of extra virgin if you don't like strong flavor of extra virgin oil.
3. Add basil pesto in an air-tight container and cover with a layer of extra olive oil. Then it can be stored in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
