The DEFINITIVE Pesto thread

[TheSkiingGardener]

I've always used shop bought Pesto and would like to start making my own, but as always there are a million recipes online and I don't want to start with a disappointing one.

So what are the fundamental ingredients, and then what are the interesting variations?

The fundamentals are basil, parmesan, pine nuts, olive oil, seasoning.

I tend to sub pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for pine nuts just because I don't tend to have pine nuts around, though I suspect the pine nuts would be best.

Nice to add a bit of fresh chilli & garlic too.

I like it with walnuts instead of pine nuts. Some sun-dried tomatoes can be great.

OK, I need to either buy or grow some basil. We're away for a while shortly, so maybe I could sow some now and then make pesto with it when I get back.

Whats a good proportion of basil/parmesan/pine nuts and olive oil? Books vary.

I do like the jarred red pesto, is that with sun-dried tomatoes I presume?

I always put lemon juice and plenty of garlic in mine. I have also made it a few times with cashew nuts instead of pine nuts; quite a bit cheaper and no danger of pine mouth.
Beware making your own though, my family are absolute pesto snobs now, won't even look at the stuff in a jar.

Surely garlic is a fundamental too?

re Quantities - I put as much basil as I can shove in my mini chopper in. I then shoehorn everything else in.

Then I whizz it and add more whatever to taste. I like lots of parmesan.

homemade pesto is the best - there's no looking back. I loved it spread on bread & grilled. I'm like taffeta - as much basil as I can get in mini mixer thing plus plenty of parmesan. Not too much garlic as it is very strong because its raw.

I think red pesto is red peppers?

I didn't have any basil left and found a recipe for parsley pesto (have loads in my garden as grows really easily). So - threw in loads of that instead and instead of pine nuts I chucked in some roasted peanuts. It was suprisingly delicious and I make it all the time now as its so cheap.

So, a full mini mixer of basil, as much Parmesan as I can shove in, how do I get the pine nuts in?

Seriously, I need a beginners rough quantities so that I can get going. Happy to work in handfuls, spoonfuls and glugs.

I tend to make mine according to taste. There's no right or wrong, really. I've started switching pine nuts for less expensive nuts like cashews. Still tastes pretty good, IMO. Plenty of fresh basil leaves, grated Parmesan, garlic, olive oil, a little lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Once you've you've made it, you won't look back!

OK, I found this recipe in the recipes section and am going to give these sort of quantities a go. Then I can adapt and play.

4 big handfuls of basil leaves
2 cloves of garlic
salt
50 g pine nuts
50 g pecorino or parmesan cheese
olive oi