15-Minute Garlic Basil Pesto

5 from 11 votes

A vibrant, garlic-forward basil pesto that's ready in just 15 minutes. Packed with punchy garlic, toasted pine nuts, and rich parmesan.

Prep Time15

Cook Time0

Total Time15

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Kosher, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 413kcal

Author: Candice Walker

Ingredients

4 oz. fresh basil Stems removed
4 cloves garlic Rough chopped
½ cup toasted pine nuts
½ cup olive oil
½ cup parmesan grated
¼ tsp pepper to taste
salt to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare your ingredients by trimming the stems off the basil, and quartering or roughly chopping the garlic (if you put it in the food processor whole they will not break down).
4 oz. fresh basil, 4 cloves garlic
Toast pine nuts on the stove top or in the oven:
Stove Top Method: Spread the pine nuts in a fry pan in a single layer. Cook over medium-low heat until golden brown and fragrant. Toss them around in the pan frequently to avoid burning.
Oven Method: Spread the pine nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 5-10 minutes at 375°F until golden brown and fragrant. It helps to shake the pan every couple of minutes to avoid burning. Immediately transfer to another dish to stop the cooking.
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
Add the basil, garlic, and pine nuts and 1/4 tsp pepper in the food processor.
Pulse (don't run) the food processor while slowly adding the olive oil.
1/2 cup olive oil
Finely grate the parmesan into a medium sized bowl. (The parmesan is salty so we don't add salt until the end.) Add the contents of the food processor to the parmesan and mix to combine.
1/2 cup parmesan
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
1/4 tsp pepper, salt

Video

Notes

Pesto is perfectly good to freeze. The easiest way to do this is to use an ice cube tray. Pack each tray with some of the pesto mixture, and freeze so that you have little pesto cubes. Then remove the frozen cubes and store in an airtight container/bag in your freezer, and defrost as needed.

Nutrition