International dishesSauces and DipsItalyabout 10 minutes
Classic pesto comes out bright green, fragrant with basil, rich with cheese and nutty from the pine nuts. Holding that green is the hard part, since basil darkens easily under the blade.
Two ice cubes go into the blender with the basil, pine nuts, garlic and grated parmesan for about 2 minutes. The ice keeps the jug cool so the sauce never warms up and turns.
This batch weighs about 132g, at roughly 316 calories per 100g.
Method
Put 60g basil leaves, 30g shelled pine nuts, 5g garlic, 30g grated parmesan and 2 ice cubes into a blender in that order.
Blend for about 2 minutes until smooth.
Add 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt and blend for another 2 minutes until the sauce is even.
The pesto is ready when it is a bright green, fragrant with basil, rich with cheese and nutty from the pine nuts. Spoon it into a jar and use it straight away or keep it in the fridge.
Tips
Pine nuts are expensive and hard to find, and 30g of plain roasted cashews or walnuts takes their place.
Grated parmesan is sold at imported food counters, and a block can be grated finely before blending.
The ice cubes are what keep the sauce green rather than dull.
Short pulses rather than a continuous run keep the jug cool, since heat turns the leaves.
More from kOBE
The kOBE kitchen has over a thousand more recipes, plus Monk Fruit Blend and ready meals delivered.