Easy Homemade Southern Basil Pesto Recipe
Servings: 2 cups
Calories: 754kcal
This Easy Homemade Southern Basil Pesto recipe takes the traditional basil pesto recipe, which originated in the 16th century in Genoa, Italy, and updates it with a Southern twist; pecans instead of pine nuts.
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups packed basil leaves
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup toasted pecans or toasted pine nuts
- 2 large garlic cloves chopped
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the basil leaves. Discard any woody stems.
- Add the basil leaves, salt, lemon juice, toasted pecans or pine nuts, garlic, and parmesan cheese to a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse until everything is finely chopped up.
- With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil until the mixture makes a loose paste.
- Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to three days, or store in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Notes
Use small plastic snack bags to freeze your basil pesto. Carefully squeeze out all of the air before sealing and store in the freezer.
The biggest enemy of bright green fresh basil pesto is air. Be sure to store it in an air-tight container to keep air from browning the basil. Also, I usually add just a touch of olive oil to the top of the pesto to keep the air from getting to the basil mixture.
Use your salad spinner to rinse and drain the basil before processing in the food processor.
To toast pecans, spread them evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes in a 350 degrees oven. To toast pine nuts, place them in a small skillet and cook over medium heat stirring constantly for about 2-4 minutes.
Nutritional Information is for 1 cup of pesto
[nutrition-label]
Nutrition
Calories: 754kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 66g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 37g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 1012mg | Potassium: 1274mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 12950IU | Vitamin C: 56.9mg | Calcium: 1110mg | Iron: 8.6mg
Made this recipe?Click the stars ⭐️ below to rate it or leave a comment—I’d love to hear how it turned out! And if you enjoy my recipes, click the button below to add Grits and Pinecones as a Preferred Source on Google.
