Fresh basil is a gift of the summer, and our favorite way to use basil from the garden is ... this recipe for pesto. Stirred into pasta or drizzled onto crusty bread, our 100% Organic jovial Extra Virgin Olive Oil is perfect for your most flavorful batch of pesto.
Tips For Great Pesto
● From your basil plant, use only the small tender leaves for pesto and the large tougher leaves for cooking. ● Snip away the stems from the leaves. The stems have a bitter flavor and will not be ground as finely as the leaves. You can discard the stems by pressing right at the bottom of the leaves with your fingernail. ● Oil and water do not mix, so it is important to dry the basil completely after washing. ● To preserve your pesto, always top it off with fresh oil. This will create a barrier to air and permit you to store the pesto in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
How to Make Basil Pesto
First, you’ll need a food processor. Add in the basil, garlic, nuts, and salt, and pulse.While the motor is running, carefully pour the oil into the bowl and process until chopped fine.Next, you’ll need a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the cheeses and pulse a few times to combine. Add a few tablespoons of butter along with the oil for a creamier pesto.For storage, put it in a glass container and top it off with extra virgin olive oil to preserve freshness.Then enjoy!
Why Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
What’s the difference between olive oil and extra virgin olive oil? You’ll notice a difference in texture and taste when you compare the two, and this is because extra virgin is made from pure, cold-pressed olives. Regular olive oil on the other hand is a blend of cold-pressed and processed oils. Extra-virgin olive oil not only tastes better, but is also better for cooking and for your health.
Jovial organic extra virgin olive oil is made from three ancient varieties of olives: Favarol, Grignano, and Nostrano. Exclusively grown in the Valpantena area and the hills above Lago di Garda, this is true authentic Italian olive oil you can trust.
Fresh Basil Pesto
Ingredients
5 cups packed basil leaves, stems and flowers discarded
Place the basil in a food processor. Add garlic, nuts, and salt. Pulse to chop the leaves.
With the motor running, slowly pour the oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until as fine as possible.
Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the cheeses and pulse a few times to combine. (If you like a creamier pesto, you may also add a few tablespoons of butter along with the oil.)
Store in a sealed glass container, topped off with extra virgin olive oil.
When preparing pasta, add the desired amount of pesto to the serving bowl. When the pasta is halfway through the cooking time, add a few tablespoons of the hot cooking water to the bowl to warm and thin the pesto before mixing in the pasta.
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