Our easy and delightful pesto recipe is the perfect sauce to make that you can put on almost anything. Pasta, eggs, sandwiches, and so much more can be paired with pesto! This recipe can be made two ways: with a mortar and pestle or with a food processor. Either way will result in a flavorful and yummy pesto! The aromatic and fresh flavor of pesto will please any crowd during any time of the year, and it only takes 10 minutes to make! 

We recommend using either Joy or Vitality for this pesto. Vitality is a more neutral flavored oil with undertones of green grass and tomato, while Joy has more spice to it with undertones of almond and artichoke. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups basil leaves

• 1-2 garlic cloves (peeled)

• ½ cup parmesan cheese (grated)

• ½  cup Olivo Amigo Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

• ⅓ cup pine nuts 

• Salt to taste

Directions: 

• Separate basil leaves from stems. Thoroughly wash and dry the leaves. 

Option 1: Mortar and Pestle 

• Grind garlic with the pestle until it becomes a paste. 

• Add the basil leaves, salt, a bit of olive oil and half the amount of parmesan. Start grinding the ingredients. 

• Add more olive oil, the pine nuts and the remaining parmesan. Grind everything together. 

• Add additional ingredients as needed to get your desired taste and thickness. 

Option 2: Hand Blender/ Food Processor 

• Cut the garlic into 4 pieces. Add basil leaves, garlic, and pine nuts. Process them slowly and intermittently, at low speed. 

• Add the parmesan and salt and pulse several times. 

• At low speed, slowly add the olive oil until the sauce starts getting texture.

If you love the recipe or have tried it yourself, let us know on our Instagram @yourolivoamigo !