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  1. Food & Recipes
  2. Homemade Pesto

Homemade Pesto

By The Good Housekeeping Test KitchenPublished: Aug 28, 2017
Arrow Circle Down IconJump to recipe
homemade-pesto-recipe-gh-0917
Mike Garten
Yields:
1 c.
Total Time:
10 mins

It's easy being green, especially with this one-step, 5-minute recipe for everyone's favorite herby condiment.

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Ingredients

  • 3 cups loosely packed basil
  • 1 large garlic clove, crushed with press
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp. Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

    1. Step 1In food processor or blender, pulse basil, garlic, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, lemon juice and black pepper until smooth.
    2. Step 2Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Looking to spice it up? Try out these variations.

Smoky Almond: Replace basil with parsley, pine nuts with blanched almonds and Parmesan with grated Manchego. Add 1/2 cup roasted red peppers and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika.

Spicy Cilantro: Omit cheese and lemon juice. Replace half of basil with cilantro and replace pine nuts with roasted unsalted peanuts. Add 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, 1 small serrano chile (seeded and chopped) and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Hazelnut-Arugula: Replace basil with 2 1/2 cups arugula and 1/2 cup parsley, and replace pine nuts with hazelnuts. Add pinch nutmeg.

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