Pesto 3 ways! Here are my fun variations on a classic pesto to shake things up! Pesto is a great recipe to have on hand, it’s versatile, quick and easy! Why not try making some homemade?
Pesto is a staple in the Italian flavours world and for good reason. It’s a fresh flavoured condiment, with a rich nuttyness, normally provided by pine nuts and parmesan cheese. I don’t know what I would label it as really… a spread? Sauce? Dip? All of the above? I know I’ve used it as all of the above!
So basically, pesto is just a blend of herbs, nuts, cheese and olive oil. This makes it totally and easily customisable. In my variations, I’ve played around with swapping out the pine nuts for walnuts, and adding some ricotta cheese to my spinach version for a little extra creaminess. The ricotta cheese also creates a really vibrant pesto because it lightens the overall green colour which is fun too!
In terms of keeping this for later, pesto freezes REALLY well. You could either freeze small portions in an ice cube tray and then pop them out and store in a ziplock bag, or you could measure out 1/2 cup portions and put them straight in a ziplock in the freezer.
You can definitely expect a few pesto themed recipes to come your way in the next couple of weeks… mine’s in the freezer ready to go!
[cta id=”2723″ vid=”0″]
Easy Peasy Pesto 3 Ways
Pesto is a great staple to have in your fridge. Add it to pasta, pizza, bread, or use it as a dip! These variations on a classic pesto will shake things up a little and give you something new to try!
Variation 1: Classic Basil Pesto
2 cups Fresh Basil Leaves,
1/4 cup Walnuts,
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese,
3 Cloves Garlic,
1/2 cup Olive Oil.
Variation 2: Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
1/2 cup Sun Dried Tomatoes (from a jar where they are in oil),
1 Clove Garlic,
1/2 cup Fresh Basil Leaves,
1/4 cup Pinenuts,
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese,
1/4 cup Olive Oil (preferably from the jar the sun dried tomatoes were in),
Variation 3: Spinach, Walnut and Ricotta Pesto
2 cups Fresh Spinach Leaves,
1/2 cup Fresh Basil Leaves,
1/2 cup Walnuts,
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese,
2 Cloves Garlic,
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice,
1/4 cup Olive Oil,
2 Tablespoons Ricotta Cheese.
Steps (applies to all variation):
1. Put all ingredients except the olive oil into a food processor and blitz until finely chopped.
2. Set the food processor to a slow speed and slowly pout in the olive oil until you have a very finely chopped and creamy pesto.
Notes: Store the pesto in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container. Due to the ricotta cheese, the spinach pesto should only be stored up to 1 week.
