A simple, easy Pesto Recipe made with fresh basil leaves, almonds and garlic in extra virgin olive oil. Made with just 5 simple ingredients in less than 10 minutes, this Pesto Sauce without cheese is the fastest, easiest way to add flavor to any meal.
First roast/toast the almonds in a small frying pan or a small skillet on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let the almonds cool.
Add the almonds in a food processor or food chopper or a grinder jar. Coarsely crush the almonds.
Then add the basil leaves, garlic, black pepper and salt.
Crush the basil leaves and add the oil while crushing and blending the whole mixture. You could make the pesto a little coarse or fine. Its your choice.
Remove and store pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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Notes
Ensure that the basil leaves are fresh and not wilted. If your basil has tender stems, then use them. If the stems are thick, stiff or woody then do not include them as they will be difficult to process in a food processor.
If you like, opt to add some hard cheese to the pesto.
Instead of almonds, feel free to use cashews, pistachios (unsalted), pine nuts or walnuts.
You could easily make a larger batch of pesto by scaling it.
Note that the approximate nutrition info is for the entire amount of pesto made with this recipe.