It’s no secret…I have a love affair with lemon.
I put it in my pasta, I roast it with my asparagus, and I bake cakes with it.
Another food I love is pesto. I put in in my pasta, I smear it on my pizza, and I roast veggies in it. I have yet to bake with it, but who knows, a savoury breakfast muffin might be in the works…
I figured, why not put my 2 favorite flavors together to make the best pesto I’ve ever tasted! Seriously folks, you’ve got to make this pesto.
I put this pesto on everything! EVERYTHING. Well, okay, maybe not my banana bread…but you get the point. It’s amazing on quesadillas, pizza, pasta, chicken, fish…
And guess what, this lemon-basil pesto is actually good for you. Here are some of the health benefits:
- The garlic and basil leaves in pesto contain vitamins A and C which support skin, eye, and immune system health.
- The olive oil provides omega-3 fatty acids which protect your cardiovascular system against disease.
My homemade version is also a lot healthier than store-bought. Why? Because I’ve used less oil and less salt. Take that store-bought pesto!
Recipe adapted from Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook 2
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 3 cups fresh basil leaves
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
In a food processor or Vitamix, pulse garlic and pine nuts until chopped. Add basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Blend.
While food processor is running, slowly stream in olive oil until pesto is blended and fairly smooth. (You may have to stop the processor and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides.)
Add Parmesan cheese and gently blend until all ingredients are combined.
Cover and refrigerate for up to one week.
http://thefithousewife.com/2012/05/lemon-basil-pesto.html/I triple dare you not to like this pesto. I’ve even started growing my own basil just so I can make this every week! And it’s so darn easy to make. Just throw everything in a food processor or Vitamix and blend away. Easy. Peasy.
Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting recipes that include this lemon-basil pesto. So you might just want to stock up on some fresh basil and lemons. Just sayin’!
Enjoy!
Print This
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Isn’t pesto just the best?! We added basil to our garden a couple of years ago and love it. It’s so fun to have a bunch of homegrown herbs on hand. I’m excited to see what recipes you’re gonna post that use this pesto!
Thanks, Jen! I love the stuff…I could bathe in it. Well, maybe not, but it’s so good
Lovely Recipe ! The lemon makes all the difference. We really enjoyed this pesto with gnocci last night and looking forward to some more. One thing I would add to the recipe is to toast the pine nuts until golden brown in a dry non stick pan.
Thanks…so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I’m sure toasted pine nuts would add a nice flavour
{ 3 trackbacks }