Italian Food: Homemade Pesto Made Easy

After being disappointed with store bought Pesto, Kay decides to make her own using all natural ingredients.

“Homemade Pesto”
The Adventures of KayRu
S1:E2

Ingredients:
3 Cups of Basil Leaves
1 Cup of Garlic Cloves
1 ½ Cups of Pine Nuts
2 Cups of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 1/3 Cups of Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Cups of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-2 tablespoons of Himalayan Pink Salt
Makes approximately 3 cups of Pesto

Directions:
Roast garlic cloves over medium heat in a cast iron skillet or wok, stirring frequently, until it just begins to brown. Now add the pine nuts and continue to roast both ingredients together until medium brown (careful pine nuts roast quickly).

Add roasted garlic and pine nuts first into the food processor, followed by the basil leaves, and 1 cup of olive oil. Process these ingredients on a medium, pulsating speed until they just begin to puree.

Stop the processor and add the parmesan cheese and continue to process until mixed into the ingredients, then stop the processor and add the second cup of olive oil, one tablespoon of salt and continue to process*

Stop the processor and salt to taste by adding some or all of the remaining tablespoon of salt and process to a smooth, spreadable puree.

Transfer the Pesto into a small cube ice tray so it can be used proportionally later, or add to a plastic bag, making sure the Pesto is uniform and flat inside the bag (approximately ½ inch thick) so small portions can be broken off as needed. Purge the air and store both flat and level inside the freezer until ready to use.

*Careful not to overprocess the ingredients, food processor speeds and power vary. The end result is a smooth spreadable puree.

kayandrussell.com/cooking