Simple Lemon Basil Pesto
This Simple Lemon Basil Pesto can be made in less than 10 minutes. Herby, savory, and summery with just a touch of lemon to make the flavor really shine!
Servings: 6 (Makes ½ cup)
Calories: 110kcal
Ingredients
- ¼ cup pine nuts (about 34g)
- 1 cup packed basil leaves (about 35g)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (about 10g)
- 1 ½ ounces olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove optional
Instructions
- First, toast pine nuts in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Watch carefully, as pine nuts turn quickly from toasted to burned. Let cool.
- Combine cooled toasted pine nuts, basil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, parmesan cheese, olive oil, and garlic clove (if desired) in a small food processor. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides a couple of times. You may need to tip the processor over a bit to blend it better if the blade does not quite reach the bottom.
- When finished, you’ll have about ½ cup of pesto. If you want a looser pesto, feel free to add more olive oil.
Notes
Pesto can be refrigerated for 3-5 days. However, note that most herb pestos have the bad habit of browning after some time in the refrigerator. If you make your pesto in advance, press a layer of saran wrap on the top of the pesto before putting it in the refrigerator.
If you want to keep your pesto for more than a few days, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. One of my favorite tricks is to freeze pesto in an ice cube tray before dumping the frozen cubes into a ziplock bag. Then you can take out a pesto cube as you need it.
This recipe makes only ½ cup of pesto. I find it’s the perfect amount to toss with pasta, or use as a dip, but if you plan to make a large batch of pasta or simply want more pesto to freeze, you can easily double this recipe. If so, you may want to use a regular-sized food processor.
Nutrition
Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 127mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 227IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 0.5mg
