From DN Recipes by David Nagy · Food & Beverage

Basil-Parsley Pesto

Published


Basil-Parsley Pesto
Makes about 1-3/4 cups. For pure basil pesto, replace the 3/4 cups parsley with basil

INGREDIENTS
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, pine nuts, or a combination
  • 3 large garlic cloves, halved
  • 3 cups gently packed fresh basil leaves
  • 3/4 cup gently packed fresh parsley leaves
  • 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 7/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice, if freezing

INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Very lightly roast the walnuts/pine nuts and garlic together (optional)
  2. Blanch the basil in boiling salted water for just a couple seconds to preserve the verdant color, and then drain it completely.
  3. Place the nuts and garlic in a food processor with steel blade. Pulse until coarsely chopped, 10-15 seconds.
  4. Add the basil, parsley, salt, and pepper and process until mixture resembles a paste, about 1 minute. Scrape sides halfway through.
  5. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly blended.
  6. If freezing, blend in the lemon juice, place in airtight container and cover with a little olive oil. Use within 2-3 months.
  7. Add the parmesan and process a minute more. If frozen, defrost, then add parmesan.
  8. Use pesto immediately or store in a tightly sealed jar or air-tight plastic container, covered with a thin layer of olive oil (this seals out the air and prevents the pesto from oxidizing, which would turn it an ugly brown color). It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week or the freezer for one month.