Basil and Almond Pesto
Equipment
- food processor a suribachi or mortar and pestle might work if you chop the almonds beforehand
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup lightly toasted almonds
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 packed cups fresh basil leaves
- 1 Tbsp unrefined olive oil
Instructions
- In a food processor, process the almonds until coarsely ground.
- Add the sea salt and garlic and process a bit more.
- Add the basil and process until just incorporated.
- Add the olive oil and process until all ingredients are combined well.
Notes
Notes:
I like my pesto to be a bit rustic in texture, so I don't process until smooth at each stage. I try to do only enough processing to blend and create a cohesive pesto.
You can add a bit of lemon juice and zest if you like.
I sometimes add a bit of nutritional yeast to give some umami flavor.
Try making pesto with a blend of other herbs like parsley and cilantro.
Experiment with other nuts and seeds as well. Lightly toasted hazelnuts add a nice flavor. Walnuts work as well.
When adding this pesto to pasta, I often stir a little red wine vinegar in first to make the pesto a little less thick. It's easier to stir it into pasta that way, without adding more oil. You could also use a little of the pasta cooking liquid. Feel free to experiment.
You can add a bit of lemon juice and zest if you like.
I sometimes add a bit of nutritional yeast to give some umami flavor.
Try making pesto with a blend of other herbs like parsley and cilantro.
Experiment with other nuts and seeds as well. Lightly toasted hazelnuts add a nice flavor. Walnuts work as well.
When adding this pesto to pasta, I often stir a little red wine vinegar in first to make the pesto a little less thick. It's easier to stir it into pasta that way, without adding more oil. You could also use a little of the pasta cooking liquid. Feel free to experiment.