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Whilst reading through the list of ingredients and instructions to make pesto at home, the process seems pretty straightforward. However, making the perfect Italian pesto can require some practice, and of course, some expert hacks. Beginning from picking the freshest ingredients possible to the processing techniques, making a uniformly thick paste requires your attention.
So, whether you want to whip up pesto sauce at home to spread it on toast or make a creamy bowl of pasta, here is a guide to master the Italian staple. All you need to do is keep these handy tips in mind while following any standard recipe, and you’ll see the difference.
Fresh Ingredients
The first and foremost trick to making any recipe perfect is always using fresh ingredients. To make pesto at home, pick bright green-coloured basil leaves, use freshly grated cheese, and a good quality olive oil. When the ingredients are up to the mark, you’ll get a pesto with a fresh taste of basil and rich nutty flavours.
Toast The Nuts
To give your pesto a nutty flavour, you can simply toast the pine nuts before processing. All you need to do to bring out the natural oils of the nuts is heat a pan and toast them on a medium heat. Since the nuts will be roasted in about three to five minutes, stay vigilant and remove them from the heat immediately once golden brown.
Processing Techniques
You can either use a mortar and pestle for grinding the leaves or simply use a food processor or a hand blender. If using a kitchen appliance, make sure you chop the garlic, add toasted pine nuts and then process till finely chopped. Next, add basil leaves in batches and pulse. The short bursts will help you reach the desired consistency more efficiently.
Add Olive Oil
The addition of olive oil while processing the basil leaves can help you get a creamier pesto. Once you grind the first half of the portion of basil leaves, gradually add olive oil, and the ingredients will start to bind together. Finally, when you get to cooking, drizzle some more olive oil to make the consistency smoother and pourable.
Season And Serve
The final touches to your pesto sauce can be made with the right seasoning. Even though the added cheese would have already added to the salt content of pesto, a pinch of sea salt is sure to enhance the overall taste. Also, add freshly cracked pepper to make the sauce aromatic. You can also add a little oregano and dried herbs before adding it to pasta or using it as a sandwich spread.
