Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce

Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce

Ingredients:

Fresh Basil leaves - 2 cups

Garlic cloves - 4 

Almonds or Pine nuts or walnuts - 1/2 cup

Black pepper - 1/2 tsp

Rock salt or Kosher salt - 1/4tsp

Olive oil - 1/3 cup 

( I have not included any hard cheese as I prefer to include while cooking pasta or any other recipe that calls for the pesto sauce)

Soak almonds for 30 minutes. Peel.

In a food processor or blender combine all the ingredients except for the olive oil. Pulse until coarsely chopped.
Add the olive oil and pulse again. 

Add to a clean dry container or bottle. Use it straightway or refrigerate.  Stays fresh for a week.

My Notes:

Pesto sauce made from basil leaves is used for Italian dishes like pasta or gnocchi or as a dip. The basils are sweet and mild in the aroma.  I like to just pop one or two leaves and enjoy chewing it fresh. 

Since pine nuts were not available, I went ahead with almonds. Wouldnt try walnuts due to its bitter taste. The challenge is to buy the lighter skin coloured fresh walnuts which are sweet. As they age, skin darkens and bitterness develops. 

With the COVID-19 circuit breaker period, boys at home, it has been sauce making week. Started with Guacamole, then the hummus and now to pesto. The homemade sauces really make the difference in your dish and worth the effort. 

A simple yet flavourful sauce that does not call for any other spices to add on.