Herbs Pesto (easy)
- Macchè
- Apr 28
- 2 min read
This is for the ones who want to make their food taste like Italy.
The herbs pesto is a easy and quick recipe that smells of Italy. We use pesto to season pasta, as a dressing for roasted vegetables, and on top of bruschette. It is truly the best sauce you can have in your fridge.
Why is everyone in love with pesto?
Herbs pesto is the most common sauce in all non-Italian countries I have been. I am not joking. Everywhere in the world, you might find a pesto jar. I guess it is because everyone likes pesto, and it tastes just like Italy. Back in the days (before the 1900), pesto was mostly crushed garlic and herbs. Pesto, indeed, comes from "pestáre" which means "to crush". People from Liguria (in the North of Italy), started mixing different herbs and came up with the original recipe of the Pesto alla Genovese. All around Italy, food lovers started making their own version of pesto, mixing nuts and locally grown herbs.
Once you learn the basics, you will also be able to make your own pesto recipe!
INGREDIENTS:
This recipe makes a jar of fresh mixed herb pesto. It’s aromatic, vibrant, and perfect for pasta and bread! Want to learn how to make the perfect pasta for your sauces? Check our workshops!
• 40 g cashews (or other nuts)
• Half garlic clove
• 1 spoon nutritional yeast (you can find it at AH, it looks like this)
• Salt (to taste)
• 8 spoons extra virgin olive oil
• 20 g fresh basil
• 20 g fresh parsley
• 200 g carrot leaves
• 10 g fresh mint
• 5 g fresh sage
• 5 g fresh chives
• 1 spoon of lemon juice
+ Macchè tip
• Learn how to perfectly season pasta with pesto, find the tip at the bottom of the page
THE RECIPE:
Prepare the herbs Wash all the fresh herbs and dry them with a clean cloth or paper towel. Roughly chop them to make blending easier.
Blend garlic and nuts Peel the garlic and remove the inner germ. Blend it together with the cashews until finely combined.
Add the herbs Add the chopped herbs to the blender and process until well incorporated. Add a little olive oil to help it blend.
Make it creamy Add the nutritional yeast, salt, the lemon juice, and the remaining olive oil. Blend again until you reach a creamy but slightly textured consistency.
Serve Use immediately or store in a jar, covered with a thin layer of olive oil to keep it fresh.
MACCHÈ TIPS:
We love pesto and pesto loves pasta! Let's see how they blend perfectly. Cook the pasta in a boiling pot of salty water. Once the pasta is al dente (slightly hard), remove a glass of cooking water and keep it on the side. Drain you pasta and move it quickly to a metal bowl.
Add a spoon of cooking water and the pesto to the pasta bowl (start with a few spoons) and mix. Add as much pesto as you like! Once the pasta is fully blended with the pesto, serve it with a drizzle of olive oil.
