Basil Pesto with Lemon

• Author: Cindy Schumacher
• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time:
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Sauces, Dressing, Italian, Garden
• Original Air Date: September 18, 2019

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves (packed into measuring cup)
3-4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (choose a a flavorful olive oil for pesto)
1/2 cup pine nuts
3/4 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

If you’re using basil from the garden, start by rinsing it and drying well. Use a salad spinner or rinse in the sink and dry with paper towels.

Put the basil and garlic cloves into the food processor and process with steel blade until basil and garlic are chopped, adding 1/2 cup olive oil through the feed tube.

Add pine nuts, grated Parmesan cheese, and fresh squeezed or fresh-frozen lemon juice and process until well blended, about 1-2 minutes more.

Season the pesto to taste with a bit of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper.

Store pesto in a glass jar in the refrigerator, where it will last for more than a week. Can be frozen.