This emerald pesto is ideal when the weather starts to warm up—the mint adds a springy note while the basil offers a hint of summer to come. Stir it into Maria Speck’s Speedy Chickpea Couscous with Pesto, serve a dollop atop fish or poultry, spread it on crostini, or add it to hot pasta. This pesto recipe yields a generous amount. Use whatever you need now, and freeze the leftovers in an ice-cube tray. Once it’s frozen, pop the pesto cubes out of the tray, and transfer them to a heavy-duty zip-top bag, and freeze up to 1 month.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 ounce fresh basil (about 1-1/2 cups loosely packed)
- 1/2 ounce fresh mint (about 3/4 cup loosely packed)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- fresh lemon juice, to taste
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the nuts and garlic cloves in a food processor or blender. Pulse until coarsely chopped. (Or make your pesto the old-school way by pounding it in a mortar and pestle.) Add basil and mint, and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add oil and juice to taste, and pulse to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes 2/3 cup.
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