Homemade Basil Pesto Sauce

Do you like pesto pasta recipes? I know I do. However, I don't really believe in the pesto sauce available in the stores. They are simply blunt and too expensive for what they have to offer.

So, why not prepare your own since the pesto ingredients are basic ones that you can find in all supermarkets? Let me tell you how to make pesto at home. I am sure that you will agree with me that it is totally worth it to reserve 10 minutes of your time to prepare this recipe.

• The main equipment you need for this sauce is a food processor. Add the pine nuts to your food processor, grate the garlic over it and pulse until you crush all nuts.

‍

‍

• Grate the parmesan cheese in there and pulse some more.

‍

‍

• Can you guess the next step? Yes, that's right, you have to add the basil and pulse.

‍

‍

• Start pouring the olive oil and continue to pulse, so the oil is perfectly incorporated. You might need more or less than a cup of oil. You want to stop when the composition has a paste texture, but it's not too oily.
• Finally, add the balsamic vinegar and give it another pulse.

‍

‍

• That's it. Place it in a clean jar and store it in your pantry or fridge.

Now that you know how to make pesto sauce, all it is left is to tell you a little bit about its history. The creamy pesto sauce, as we know it today, has two ancestors.

The first one was known as moretum, and it goes all the way back to Ancient Rome. It was a paste containing garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and herbs. To make it, Romans used a mortar and a pistil. Even though it sounds very similar to the pesto recipe we have today, it actually was thicker.

The other 'grandfather' of today's recipe is a paste consumed in Italy during the Middle Ages. This sauce was called agliata, and it contained just nuts and garlic.

The addition of basil that led to the basil pesto's appearance happened only in the 19th century.

* There are so many ways to eat pesto, from the classic Genoese dish to a simple Caprese Salad. As I said when talking about our dried cherry tomatoes in garlicky olive oil, I will soon post some recipes in which pesto sauce will be the cherry on top.

** If you make this dish, make sure to tag us on Instagram so we can see the result.

‍