Pure pesto
Sometimes I can't stop talking about the simplicity and purity of a recipe. Like this pesto made from basil and cashews. With 4 ingredients and a pinch of salt, you can make a pure pesto, without garlic, without lemon, but with plenty of basil, that's the trick! I consciously use sunflower oil, as it has a more neutral and milder taste than olive oil.
Delicious on your sandwich, through pasta, as a flavour enhancer in the sauce for your lasagne, or with some black pepper and thinned with a little water as a dressing for a tomato salad.
Store in a clean jar in the fridge and only use a clean spoon to scoop it out. After use, pour a thin layer of olive oil on top before putting the jar back in the fridge, this keeps the top nice and green and seals the pesto off from oxygen. This way, your pesto will stay good for at least 5 days.
Ingredients:
100 grams of unsalted cashews, roasted for 8 minutes at 160 degrees in the oven
75 grams of basil leaves including a small part of the stems
80 grams of grated Parmesan cheese or Grana Padano
160 ml sunflower oil
Salt to taste (I use half a teaspoon for this recipe)
Extra olive oil for storage
Preparation:
Place the cooled cashews in a food processor, add the basil leaves and cheese on top. Pour in the sunflower oil. Turn on the machine and let it run until you see that the cashews are reasonably finely ground. Check in between to see if you like the texture and then blend a bit more. Sometimes you need to mix the mass with a spatula halfway through, as the pesto can be finer in texture at the bottom of the bowl than on top.
Tip: Do you find the pesto too thick? Then add a little water (no extra oil needed) and stir well.
By: Marleen
Categories: Kitchen secrets
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