The Art of Making Pesto: A Step-by-Step Guide

When it comes to making pesto, there are many different variations and interpretations that can be explored. In this article, we'll take a closer look at one recipe for pesto that uses affordable and tasty ingredients.

First, let's talk about the nuts. You can use whatever type of nut you like, such as pecan or macadamia. The key is to choose something that's affordable and flavorful. A handful of nuts will do, and they should be toasted until fragrant. Once they've cooled down, it's time to move on to the next ingredient.

Next up is the cheese. You'll want to use a firm cheese that can be crumbled or chopped easily. Parmesan is a great option, but you can also use other types of cheese like Cheshire or goat's cheese. The idea is to find something that will add creaminess and depth to your pesto.

Now it's time for the garlic. A little pinky of raw garlic may not seem like much, but trust us, it makes a big difference. You can adjust the amount to taste, but remember that a little goes a long way. This is where the magic happens in making pesto.

While we wait for the nuts to toast off and cool, let's move on to the green stuff. Instead of using fresh basil, you can use whatever fresh green thing you like. British watercress is wonderful, with its peppery flavor and leafy texture. You can also use rocket, kale, or even parsley if you prefer. Just make sure to remove any tough stalks and chop it up finely.

Now that we have our ingredients ready, let's talk about the method of making pesto. In this recipe, we're using a traditional approach that involves chopping everything by hand on a board and knife. This may seem old-fashioned, but it's actually quite efficient and allows for a lot of control over the final texture.

To start, take your handful of nuts and chop them up finely on your board. Then add in the cheese and chop until you get a really fine crumb. Don't worry if it takes a bit longer – this is where the magic happens! Next, add in the chopped green stuff and continue to chop until everything is well combined.

Now it's time to add in the oil. In this recipe, we're using rapeseed oil because it has a mild flavor that won't overpower the other ingredients. You can use any type of oil you like, but be sure to choose one that complements the flavors in your pesto.

Add the oil slowly and stir everything together until you get a smooth, creamy sauce. Taste and adjust as needed – remember, a little garlic goes a long way! Finally, transfer the pesto to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

The result is a delicious and vibrant pesto that's perfect for using in a variety of dishes. You can toss it with pan-fried pumpkin gnocchi for a spectacular main course, or serve it as a sauce for pasta or risotto. Whatever you choose, we're sure you'll love the taste and feel of this homemade pesto.

In fact, one of the best things about making your own pesto is that it's incredibly versatile. You can use any type of green leafy herb you like, substitute in different types of cheese, or even add in some roasted red peppers for a smoky twist. The possibilities are endless!

So if you're looking for a new recipe to try at home, why not give pesto a go? With its simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions, it's the perfect place to start your culinary journey. And with our Meal Packs app, you can easily find inspiration and guidance every step of the way.

And don't forget to check out our Meal Packs app for access to a wide range of delicious recipes, including pesto! With its smart and savvy approach to meal planning, it's the perfect tool for busy home cooks who want to save time and money on their weekly shop. And as a special treat, you can try it out for free for a month – just head over to our website or download the app today!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(upbeat music)- Hey, I'm Ben,one of the chefs at Sorted Foodand today I'm gonna showyou two ways to make pesto,a fairly classic version,and then a version that takesthe same kind of conceptand rules to apply it to a cheaper versionthat you can do at homeeven if you don't have anything otherthan a knife and a chopping board.(upbeat music)So we know the classic pesto,essentially an Italian pounded sauce,vibrant green and full of basil.It's just five ingredients.One of those ingredientswe'll start with is pine nuts.What I'm gonna do is toastthese pine nuts in a dry panjust to give them a wonderfulextra note of nuttiness.Just a few minutes tossing occasionally.Once they're toasted,you have to let them cool down.In the meantime, otheringredients, garlic,a very small clove or half a big clove.You don't want too much raw garlicbecause it can be quite fiery,especially if you're gonnamake a batch of pestothat will last a long time in the fridge.It will get even more fieryas you keep it in the fridge.Next ingredient to look at is the cheese.So a salty hard Italian cheese.This is Parmesan.I'm just gonna chop it up a bitsmaller to give it a chance.Keep an eye on your nuts.You're looking for that gold.Don't you snigger.You're looking for that golden colorand you begin to smell it.It smells almost like popcorn.Now when it comes to quantities,there is a recipe I'm sure.For me, I like to go by eye and by hand,and by that I mean thereare five ingredientsand you want about a handfulof toasted pine nuts,a handful of chopped or grated Parmesan,a handful of fresh basil,much more difficult tomeasure a handful of oil,but literally I mean like ifyou were to hold it in a handit's about that much,and just a little pinkylittle bit of garlic,not a hand for that one, just pinky.And with that in mind,it doesn't matter how bigor small your handsare, should still work.So the handful of toasted pine nuts cooledinto the food processor,along with a handful of Parmesanand your pinky of garlic.Now I'm using a food processorbecause it's quicker and it'seasier and we've got one.Traditionally, it wouldbe pestle and mortar.But if you wait until the second recipeI'll show you in a bit,you don't need need either.Pine nuts, Parmesan, pulse.At this point you're justpulsing it to a crumb.You don't need it to turninto a paste or anything.Just gets the nuts andthe cheese nice and small,ready for the basil.At this point, a generoushandful of fresh basil.For me, I like to take the stalks offbut throw them in the nexttomato sauce you're makingor something like that becausethey have incredible flavor.Just not quite right for this.It's the leaves you want.Blitz it up againand once the basil and cheese,nut mixture is combined.You're gonna slowly dribble in the oil.This is olive oilbut I've deliberatelygone for half olive oiland half extra-virgin olive oil.Personally, I think ifyou just use extra-virginit's quite strong and it canoverpower some of the fragranceand the nuttiness of thepesto, but it's up to you.And I'll give youanother oil option later.So that is the consistencythat we're looking for.It's basically emulsifiedthe three different fats,the fats from the nuts,the fats from the cheese,and the fats from the oil.And they all come togetherwith the herb and the garlic,and you end up with this.Now we've not yet seasoned it,but Parmesan is quite salty,so wait until now to have a tasteand then adjust salt andpepper to your preference.I'm adding a little bit of saltand some freshly cracked black pepper.Not everyone likes pepper,'cause sometimes the basilcan be quite peppery, but up to you.And that will keep in the fridge coveredfor at least a week,and you can use it for countless things.It is great with grilled chicken.It is great with grilled fish.It's great to toss throughsalads and roasted vegetables.I'm gonna show you areally quick crostini.Light lunch or beautiful aperitivo,some char-grilled ciabatta,this is the olive one.Top with pesto,sun-dried tomatoes,and some torn mozzarella.(upbeat music)(upbeat music)Damn simple, super deliciouslight lunch, aperitivo,or put that on top of somebeautiful warm lentils,dinner sorted.Oh, I've not said sortedlike that for a while.(upbeat music)Now you understand my handytip, recipe number two.Now the thing is pine nuts and Parmesan,relatively expensive, so this next versionuses more affordableingredients in the UK.But once you get the idea,you can use whatever flavorsyou want from wherever you are.Same rules as before.Instead of a handful of pinenuts, a handful of walnuts.I'm still gonna toast them off.Walnuts, Cobnuts super seasonalin the autumn and winter in the UK.But equally they could be pecan nuts.They could be macadamia.They can be whatever you want them to bethat's affordable and tastyor that you have in your store cupboard.Little pinky of garlic,that hasn't changed.Cheese, use your favorite cheese.Use the one you've got in the fridgeor go and get one specially for it,but it should be a firm cheese.So like a Parmesan, not softlike a Camembert or a Brieor a goat's cheese.You want something that'lleither crumble or chop.This is a Cheshire cheese,not as firm as a Parmesan,but still possible tokind of slice and crumble.And again, a handful.Whilst we wait for thenuts to toast off and cool,move on to the next one, the green stuff.Instead of fresh basil,use whatever fresh green thing you like.This is watercress, Britishwatercress is wonderful.It's peppery, it's leafy.Just as before I'm gonnatake off the stalks.You could also use rocket.You could also use kale.If you do you might wantto blanch it briefly,or you could just use loadsand loads of parsley, or dill,or mint, whatever herb you like.Just like before we giveit a bit of a headstart.This time not a headstartfor the food processor,but a head start for my chopping boardbecause that's how we'regonna do this one, by hand.Forgive me for repetition,but it helps me remember things.Look a handful of nuts,a handful of green leaves,a handful of cheese anda little pinky of garlic.The oil in this instance comes at the end,because we're gonna do it on the board.So rather than a food processor,rather than a pestle andmortar, just chop it all throughwith a board and a knifeand you'll have the basisof your pesto.And here we come to thedefinition of pesto.Pesto comes from pesta, whichliterally means to pound.So, yes, the first one we blitzedand this one we're chopping,but it's the same principle.And this means that anyonecan do it on a chopping boardwith a knife, you have aversion of that you can do.And if you don't even want to dothe green herby leafy option,you could even sub that outfor something like roasted red peppers.Right now, we've got aversion on the Meal Packs appthat uses a red pepper pesto, same method,and you use it a couple oftimes throughout the week.And you can go and checkthat out for free for a monthif you haven't already.Essentially keep going until you've gota really really fine crumband then transfer it to a bowlwhere you're gonna addyour hand full of oil.In this instance,I'm using rapeseed oilrather than olive oil,but again, use one that youlike, one that you have,and one that's got a little bit of flavorbut isn't too overpowering.It was a handful.Add the oil, stir it up,and there you have it.Slightly coarser by hand,but just as delicious.And that's the kind ofconsistency you're looking for.Season to taste.I'm gonna tell you thatlittle pinky of raw garlicgoes a long way, nice warmth.That's so good.It's so different to the pesto you knowand yet it's the sameconcept, the same rule,and you can use it inpretty much the same way.It just gives you a nice twist.And this one I'm just gonna toss throughsome pan fried pumpkin gnocchi.Little splash of water turnsit into a gorgeous sauce.Plate it up, more fresh watercress.(upbeat music)And there we go, two versionsof the same pesto concept.Just remember the handy ruleand I can't wait to seewhat you guys come up with.And if you want to put yournew pesto skills to the test,then don't forget checkout our Meal Packs app,basically an effortless wayto absolutely nail midweek cooking.Smart, savvy recipes that taste delicious.They get the wow and they save you moneyon your weekly shop.Right now you can try itfor a whole month for free.I'll be nice.We've plugged the app, shouldwe plug a hole, I'm hungry.Take it.- Here we go.Let's try this pumpkin gnocchi.That is spectacular.- It's so simple.- That is spectacular.- On a cold wet eveningthere's nothing you want morethan a bowl of that.- Yeah to remind you of a placethat's a lot sunnier.(upbeat music)That does not taste any cheaperthan the classic version.It's as delicious.- Mm-hmm.\n"