Basil pesto, the recipe of which you will learn from our article, is one of the most famous sauces in the world. It is suitable for dressing salads, it can be added to the first courses or served with fish.
Basil and Mayonnaise Pesto Recipe
The original taste of the sauce will appeal to even the most demanding gourmets. To prepare it, we will need these products:
- Basil - 15 grams.
- Olive oil - two tablespoons.
- Two egg yolks.
- Mustard - one teaspoon.
- White wine vinegar - one teaspoon.
- Salt to taste.
- Vegetable oil.
Basil pesto recipe is pretty simple:
- Dip the fresh leaves in boiling water, then remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer to ice-cold liquid.
- Squeeze out the excess moisture, transfer the basil to a blender bowl and add two tablespoons of olive oil to it. Turn on the appliance for two minutes.
- Beat two egg yolks, vinegar and mustard separately. Gradually add olive oil to them, not forgetting to constantly stir the products.
- When the mayonnaise is ready, dilute it with a little water and combine with basil.
Ligurian pesto
Fragrant sauce with a rich taste will decorate any dish. It got its name from the Italian word “grind”, which is consonant with the word “pestle” familiar to everyone. Sauce appeared in the northern region - Liguria, where it received its original name.
To prepare the dish you need to stock up on the following products:
- Two bunches of basil.
- 100 grams of parmesan.
- 60 grams of pine nuts.
- A clove of garlic.
- Half a glass of olive oil.
- Salt.
The recipe for basil pesto sauce is quite simple:
- Pour water into a saucepan, add a little salt and put it on the fire.
- Dip fresh leaves in boiling water for ten seconds, and then transfer them to ice.
- Transfer the basil to paper towels and remove excess moisture.
- Put leaves, nuts, grated cheese, chopped garlic and olive oil in a blender bowl.
Turn on the appliance and grind food. You do not need to mix the ingredients for too long, as the finished sauce should have a heterogeneous structure.
Classic pesto
This sauce is very popular in its homeland. In the province of Liguria, locals even organize competitions to cook a popular dish in the traditional way (in a mortar). We also suggest you try making the sauce according to the classic recipe.
This time we need the following ingredients:
- Three cloves of garlic.
- 100 grams of green basil.
- 150 ml of olive oil.
- Four tablespoons of pine nuts.
- 50 grams of parmesan.
So, we are preparing a classic Italian basil pesto. Sauce recipe read here:
- Remove the stiff part of the stem from the leaves, and chop the rest finely.
- Peel the garlic.
- Cut the cheese into strips.
- Put the prepared ingredients in a blender bowl and start whipping them in pulsation mode.
- Gradually add olive oil to the products - you need to pour it in a thin stream.
Stir foods until smooth.
Basil pesto. Winter recipe
A delicious and fragrant sauce is usually prepared from fresh herbs. However, there is a way to preserve the memories of the summer and keep the pesto for a long time:
- Separate the basil leaves from the thick twigs and wash them thoroughly.
- Peel the garlic.
- Put prepared foods, fresh tomatoes, grated cheese in a blender bowl.
- Grind all the ingredients, and then add the pine nuts to them.
- Then pour a glass of olive oil into the bowl and turn on the appliance for one minute.
- Season the sauce with ground pepper and salt.
Transfer the finished product into a sterilized jar and roll it up. Keep pesto, like the rest of the workpiece, in a cool place.
Red Basil Pesto
The first written mention of the famous sauce is found in the middle of the 19th century, in the cookbook of Genoa. Its author, Giovanni Battista Ratto, offers to cook pesto from the simplest ingredients. It is interesting that the composition of the sauce practically did not differ from what is being prepared today.
This time we will make pesto from:
- 70 grams of red basil.
- 30 grams of peeled pine nuts.
- 60 grams of parmesan.
- 40 grams of pecarino.
- Two cloves of garlic.
- 80 grams of extra virgin olive oil.
How to make red basil pesto? Sauce recipe read here:
- Wash and dry the basil leaves.
- Cheese grate on a very fine grater.
- Grind garlic and pine nuts in a marble mortar.
- After that, add fresh leaves and a little sea salt to the food. Continue chopping the ingredients in a circular motion.
- Once the contents of your mortar begin to resemble cream, add cheese.
- Add olive oil and mix food again.
Remember that you do not need to make pesto on an industrial scale. But if you still have unused sauce, fill it with olive oil and place in the refrigerator for several days. In the future, you can use it as a dressing or as an additive to paste.
Sun-dried tomato pesto
The original sauce is distinguished by a non-standard selection of ingredients:
- One clove of garlic.
- Glass of basil.
- Grated Parmesan - a third of a glass.
- Crushed walnuts - a third of a glass.
- Water - two spoons.
- Sun-dried tomatoes - six pieces.
- Sea salt - half a teaspoon.
- Ground pepper - a quarter teaspoon.
- Olive oil.
Recipe:
- Put chopped garlic, basil leaves, cheese, walnuts, finely chopped tomatoes in the combine.
- Add salt, water and ground pepper.
- Beat products, gradually adding olive oil to them.
Wait until the sauce resembles a thick paste.
Pesto with mint and basil
This sauce is perfect for meat dishes.
Ingredients:
- Half a glass of crushed walnuts.
- A clove of garlic.
- One and a half glasses of mint leaves.
- Half a glass of basil leaves.
- Half a teaspoon of lemon zest.
- 300 grams of feta cheese.
- Two tablespoons of lemon juice.
- Salt and ground pepper to taste.
- Half a glass of olive oil.
How to cook:
- Sauté the nuts on a baking sheet until golden brown.
- Grind all the ingredients in the combine.
- Add olive oil to them and mix.
Conclusion
We will be glad if the basil pesto, the recipe of which you learned from our article, is a frequent guest at your table. Fresh aromatic sauce will make your menu more diverse, and food - healthy and healthy.