It’s not easy being green….
unless you are yummy homemade basil pesto sauce!
I have an abundance of basil in my garden this year (for once!), and decided to try my hand at homemade pesto.
So I picked a bunch – oooooh the glorious smell! There is seriously nothing like (except maybe rosemary!)
Then I added some fresh garlic and a handful of Marcona almonds I had (as I didn’t have pine nuts on hand). These made a great sub!
Marcona almonds are imported from Spain. They are shorter, rounder, softer, and sweeter than the California variety. They are blanched and roasted in olive oil, then sprinkled with sea salt, making for a truly delicious flavor if you have never tried.
Olive oil, salt, pepper, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese are the only other things you need to make this amazing fresh sauce that goes great on a caprese sandwich or as a pasta sauce, pizza topping, or chicken marinade around here.
We especially like it on orzo pasta.
Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!
Homemade Basil Pesto
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves (packed)
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup marcona almond or pine nuts
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste (freshly ground is best)
Combine the basil, garlic, nuts, and olive oil in food processor or blender. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a bowl, and gently mix in the parmesan cheese. Serve immediately over pasta, chicken or fish, on a caprese sandwich, as a pizza topping or use as a marinade.
Cheers and Hugs,
Jodi
the creative life in between 
Thank you for sharing. I will definitely be trying your recipe with my basil. Last year I froze my pesto in ice cube trays. Then during the colder months I added a cube to pasta. Delicious!
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Thanks Julie! And what a great idea to freeze ice cube trays full! I’ll be doing that too!
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Never heard of this type of almond (although almonds are a staple in the GF diet for flour). Very cool! Do you have to mail order them? I don’t feel like I’ve ever seen them, but can’t say I’ve actually looked, either.
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We have them at the grocery but in a special section.
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Wow! Great pictures! Totally yummy looking pesto…. Thanks for the neat almond info too 🙂
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Our basil likewise is great. Thanks for the post. We will make it today!!
Oh Rob says so!!!
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How did it turn out Oh Rob?! 🙂 xo
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Looks and sounds delicious Jodi! My basis is doing fabulous this year and I just harvested some leaves yesterday. Thanks for the recipe!
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Hope you enjoy PJ!
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Thanks Jodi!
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Ooops, I meant, basil. sorry
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I love fresh basil, the taste and smell of it…:)
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It is so divine – eh George!?! The smell may even surpass the taste!
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I think you may be right, Jodi…:)
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Looks yummy. I’ve never tried those almonds. I’ll keep an eye out for them and try them. They sound yummy too.
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They are sooo good! Hope you get a chance to try them Deborah!
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Love Basil and Pesto! I may have to try making it myself! I love it on pizza! Thanks for sharing your recipe! Yum! 😊
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So good on white pizza! 🙂 YUM!
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My mouth is watering! Your photos have captured the texture and colour of the food so well I can almost taste it!
I will be making this at some point, probably in 6 months when basil is in abundance here. 🙂
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Thanks Danella! So fun being friends with someone on the “other side of the world!” 🙂 I’ll be so jealous when it is your turn and I am in the midst of winter 🙂
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Yumm! I love pesto, and I have all the ingredients to make this including the pine nuts and a shrub of basil. Thanks, Jodi!
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Yay! Enjoy making!
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I haven’t had basil pesto. But, this looks and sounds good enough to try.
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Jodi, how did you get your recipe in the box and with the button “Print”?
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Hi Ilze. I start the recipe by using this code: [recipe title="recipe name here" servings="number"], then type the recipe, and end with [/recipe]
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O! I guess it’s plugin you are using and I don’t have option to add plugins – i have free wordpress plan 🙂
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Me too – not a plug in – just try typing that in.
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Jodi, this is fantastic! I love pesto and I have a ton of basil growing. I need to get busy and try your recipe. Your photo is beautiful! XX
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Enjoy Claire!
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