I have an amazing recipe to share with you– or, I did. That was until 9-months pregnant me left the kitchen for a few minutes to rest while preparing it the other day, and came back to this in the kitchen:
And then 9-months pregnant me decided maybe if I just washed the chicken off a bit, added a bit more balsamic, and cooked it a bit longer, all would be fine.
All was not fine. I thought maybe in the photos you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between charcoal and a beautiful, glossy, balsamic glaze. You could tell. Yup.
And then, 9-months pregnant me didn’t want to go to the grocery store all weekend. Which actually turned out to be a good thing. I made several meals this weekend by scrounging in the pantry and cleaning out the produce drawer– one was a white bean chili, which I already have a similar recipe for on the blog.
The other was a wonderful concoction I am going to remake later this week to share with you– it was topped with this basil pesto. They turned out to be 2 of our favorite dinners in a while, and I had fun stretching myself with the available produce and pantry items I had on hand.
The basil in my produce drawer was actually meant for a different recipe, one that I never got around to making last week. I could blame it on pregnancy, but honestly, it’s all the contractors that have been in my house! There were days last week where there were 8 workers throughout my house — it’s only a condo! One day, there were workers in all 3 bathrooms, and I had to run down to the pool several times to use the bathroom.
Thank goodness it’s almost done. And thank goodness for Hari Raya, the end of Ramadan, which meant a 4 day weekend for the workers, and some time for me to relax in the house without a mess and loud noise.
Pesto is one of those must-do summer things. I don’t have basil plants here in Malaysia– I have killed every green thing I have tried to grow on my patio. City-condo living is just not conducive to gardening (imagine that). But I know lots of you have gardens overflowing with herbs right now, and basil plants can grow so quickly in the summertime!
So, trim back the basil plant, throw in some nuts, parmesan, garlic, a touch of sea salt, and lots of lemon, and suddenly your dinner turns gourmet– even if it really was an empty-the-pantry meal.
Contents
Basil Walnut Pesto
Equipment
- food processor or Blender
Ingredients
- 4 cups basil fresh, loosely packed
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (or 2 tablespoons EVOO and 2 tablespoons water, for a lighter sauce)
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1-2 cloves garlic grated in to taste
- sea salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste, I used less than 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Wash the basil and remove the leaves from the stems.
- Add basil to the blender, and blend using a tamper stick until the leaves are broken up. If using a standard blender, push the leaves down several times and start again.
- Once the leaves are broken up, add lemon juice, olive oil, and water. Blend until the basil and liquids become a paste.
- Add the parmesan and walnuts. Start by adding a pinch of sea salt and a few turns of black pepper. Once it's blended, taste, and adjust seasonings to taste. Grate in garlic to taste. The garlic flavor intensifies as the pesto sits, so start with a slightly less garlicky flavor than desired.
Notes
How to Store Pesto
Add pesto to an airtight container, and drizzle a thin layer of olive oil over the top. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. How to Freeze Pesto: Pesto freezes well! Freeze in an air tight container for up to 3 months. Alternatively, add pesto to an ice cube tray for single servings. I love using silicone ice cube trays for this! Once the pesto is frozen, pop them out and freeze the cubes in an air tight container or freezer bag. Allow pesto cubes to defrost at room temperature and stir well to use.How to Use Basil Pesto
Mix up this classic basil pesto with these variations! Pesto Pasta: Pesto is classically used on pasta. Boil your favorite pasta or gluten free pasta, or use zucchini noodles for a low carb option. Pesto Salad Dressing: Mix 1/2 cup of pesto with 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar and 1 additional tablespoon of olive oil. Shake to mix, and use as a salad dressing. Pesto Chicken: This chicken is marinated in pesto prior to searing. The flavor stays so fresh! Pesto Salmon: Salmon is baked with a walnut and parmesan crust, then topped with a generous dollop of pesto. Crustless Zucchini Quiche: A 3-cheese quiche with layers of garlicky zucchini and large spoonfuls of pesto. This low carb and gluten free quiche is a new favorite at our house! Pesto Green Bean Quinoa Salad: A show stopping summer side dish! Crunchy green beans with hearty quinoa. Cold Beet Salad: An arugula and beet salad is livened up with a pesto dressing.Variations
Other Herbs: Pesto is a versatile sauce! Substitute half of the basil for other herbs or greens. Italian parsley, chives, spinach and arugula are all great additions and add different flavor profiles to this summery sauce! Even just throwing in a handful of baby spinach amps up the bright green color. Check out this arugula pesto recipe for more inspiration. Other Nuts: Most nuts work well in pesto! Pine nuts, raw almonds, and cashews are great options. Pumpkin seeds keep this recipe nut free but still impart a nutty flavor. Dairy Free Basil Pesto: Omit the parmesan cheese and add 1/4 cup of raw cashews to the mix. Add additional 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt. Some vegan pesto recipes use nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor, but I prefer the mellow salty cashew flavor.Nutrition
I just brought home a basil plant! I’m hoping I can keep it alive now… 😉
Good luck 🙂 It’s harder to grow in a pot than outside– basil needs space. Buy a big pot! I had a plant for a long time in Oregon, but I could leave it outside most of the year and it liked that.
My nearest market has a good basil stall which comes twice in a month. i have never tried much though.
I really like your photography. very neat!
Thank you for showing that you don’t need quite so much oil in pesto!
P.s. Found you via Foodie FriDIY
Exactly! I am always encouraging my mom to make it herself because the store bought stuff has so much oil! This has the pesto, but the whole batch of pesto only has 2 tablespoons of oil, so that gives this just 1 tablespoon. Some for flavor and richness, but it doesn’t need to be 1/3 oil!