Pesto
Pesto is an Italian sauce made from pine nuts, Parmesan and basil. It's very simple but quite delicious, and goes particularly well with pasta.
15 min.
Easy
13.30 €
300 g
10 IngredientsLast modified on: July 25th 2020
150 g pine nuts
1 
3 bunches Basil
1 
4 tablespoons 
100 g Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano)
2 g Times for this recipe
Preparation: 10 min.
Cooking: 5 min.
All in all: 15 min.
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - ⌛ 5 min.
Put 150 g pine nuts in a pan without any oil. Dry roast briefly over high heat, stirring frequently.
Set aside.
Set aside.
Stage 2 - ⌛ 5 min.
Stage 3 - ⌛ 2 min.
Stage 4 - ⌛ 1 min.
Mix to get a basil puree.
Stage 5 - ⌛ 1 min.
Add pine nuts, garlic, 100 g Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano) grated, 5 tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper...
Stage 6 - ⌛ 1 min.
... and mix again until you obtain the texture of a thick puree.
Do not hesitate to adapt the quantity of olive oil, more or less, the important thing is to obtain the desired texture.
Do not hesitate to adapt the quantity of olive oil, more or less, the important thing is to obtain the desired texture.
Stage 7
Stage 8
Store in the fridge in a closed jar.
Remarks
In this recipe the proportions are not all that important, so you can vary them (a little more, a little less) according to your taste. If you are fond of garlic, for example, you can double the quantity indicated.
It's not absolutely necessary to roast the pine nuts, but I find that it gives the pesto a richer flavour.
If you don't have any pine nuts, you can use walnuts instead.
The basil which gives the green color tends to oxidize easily, and therefore lose this beautiful color. To keep it better, add, before blending, the vitamin c.
It's not absolutely necessary to roast the pine nuts, but I find that it gives the pesto a richer flavour.
If you don't have any pine nuts, you can use walnuts instead.
The basil which gives the green color tends to oxidize easily, and therefore lose this beautiful color. To keep it better, add, before blending, the vitamin c.
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, in a closed jar.
Source: Home made.
How much will it cost?
- For 300 g : 13.15 €
Change currency:
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
Some other recipes using this recipeSee them all 17
Fried egg in bread
This is a novel way to cook an egg in the middle of a slice of fried bread. For a continental twist to the English breakfast, it comes with a slice of grilled bacon and a little pesto. The tricky part (explained in full in the recipe) is to cook the egg white through but keep the yolk runny.
138 K 15 30 min.
Thin cherry tomato and pesto tart
A tomato tart is a real taste of summer: this one uses cherry tomatoes, finished with a drizzle of pesto after cooking. Cherry tomatoes are an ideal way to add a variety of colours for a tart that looks just as good as it tastes.
48 K 1 hour 1 min.
Seb's Italian-style aperitif slices
These Italian-inspired snacks are ideal for a light supper or with an aperitif: a thin slice of bread spread with pesto, sliced potatos, hard-boiled egg and a generous sliver of Parmesan. Pop them in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese.
39 K 50 min.
Loaf for "les filles'"
This loaf for "the girls" in three colours is made by putting together three doughs, each with a different flavour: tomato for the red, pesto with olives for the green and onion for the white. The three different doughs fuse as they rise together in the tin before cooking, to produce an unusual...
91 K4.6 4 hours 6 min.
Pasta with pesto and preserved tomatoes
In this recipe, the pasta (whatever kind you prefer) is served with shreds of fried ham and chopped preserved tomatoes as well as a good dollop of pesto.
67 K3.8 25 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Pine nuts
Like these other recipes: Chocolate mendiants, Mint and pea pesto, Spinach and ricotta ravioli, Kalamata Salad, Crunchy salad, ... See them all 9
Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano)
Like these other recipes: Tomato tatin, Vegetable tian, Roast cabbage with lemon, Zucchini ripiene, Turnip leaf pesto, ... See them all 64
Olive oil
Like these other recipes: Baby broad beans and peas with rice and mascarpone , Turnip leaf pesto, Maroilles cheese quiche, Fougasse with bacon and Comté, Polenta, ... See them all 550
Basil
Like these other recipes: Canapés of red mullet with poppy seeds, Provençal remoulade sauce, Quick flaky pizza, Creamy risotto with vegetables , Fine multi-tomato tart, ... See them all 15
Other recipes you may also like
Stewed plums
Quick and simple, stewed plums can also be spread like jam. June 27th 2010486 K2.6 40 min.
Mushroom buckwheat pancakes
The filling is prepared by frying ham and mushrooms with chopped shallot and a drizzle of lemon juice. The pancakes used here are Breton-style buckwheat "galettes" (often sold ready made in France), folded over the filling in the pan before serving. May 10th 202379 K4.6 45 min.
Bouquet garni
Used very frequently in French cuisine, a secret of French chefs, it adds flavour to a lot of recipes, and it's easy to prepare. The basic principle is to make a small bundle of herbs, bind them in green leek leaves and to tie it up, so that the whole thing can be removed and discarded easily after cooking. March 21th 2017436 K3.5 15 min.
French dressing (vinaigrette)
Here is a very simple recipe, but it could completely transform, maybe even transcend, your salad. July 7th 20111.07 M4.5 7 min.
Fruit coulis (fruit purée)
Contrary to what people usually think, coulis is not just a simple fruit purée with sugar. Of course, this is the general principle, but it's possible to make something much better and more refined. This recipe is for a strawberry coulis (see below for other fruits): how to make it, but also how freeze it. October 20th 2012797 K 43 25 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2026-01-18)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.
The 2 comments already posted on this recipe