Homemade Pesto

Pesto is one of my secret ingredients to fix a boring meal.  You know those simple weeknight dishes that you’re kind of bored of but are easy quick meals so you just make it and force it down.  I feel like even a little goes a long way, such as adding a teaspoon in a bowl of some chicken noodle soup or using is as a base for your pizza.  I love to toss it in sautéed potatoes and adding some to pasta marinara.  

Homemade Pesto

I’ve always wanted to make some of my own.  I like the fact that you don’t really need a recipe and you can add so many different things in there and get really great results.  It’s great to make when you have left over herbs that you don’t want to go to waste. I’m really excited to try other ingredients next time.  I want to add in some kale and other types of nuts.

Here are some possible alternatives to the core ingredients.  The list is really endless and feel free to add multiple types of greens, nuts, etc.

Greens: Spinach, Kale, Arugula, Asparagus, Basil, Cilantro, Parsley, Dill, Sage, Mint, Thyme, etc.

Nut: Pinenuts, Almonds, Walnuts, Pistachios, Pumpkin seeds, Hemp seeds, etc.

Cheese: Parmesan, Asiago, Romano, etc.

Spices: Ginger, Cayenne, Coriander, Paprika, etc.

Add a variety of different ingredients to get the perfect pesto.

For this recipe I had on hand:

• 3 cups of basil

• ½ cup pin nuts

• 3-4 cloves of garlic

• ½ cup grated parmesan

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Simply put all ingredients in a food processor and blend together.

Green Goodness Pesto