Ingredients
- 2 cups packed lemon balm leaves
- 2 cups packed basil leaves
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup cashews (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, and pine nuts all work well too) (50 g)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (60-125 ml)
- freshly squeezed juice from 1 lemon (about 4 tablespoons)
- 1/2 cup parmesan (50 g)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients for the pesto in a food processor and blend until smooth.
- No food processor? No problem, I use a handheld mixer for the same results. Or go traditional... when it comes to making pesto, you can't go wrong with a pestle and mortar.
Nutrition
Notes
To store:
- In the fridge…Transfer the pesto into glass jar(s) and top with a little olive oil to completely cover the surface (this stops the basil from oxidizing and turning brown). Keep in the fridge for up to one week; some argue it’ll last up to three.
- In the freezer…If doing this, omit the cheese from the recipe and add it after you've defrosted the pesto. Transfer to a freezer friendly container or – TIP -- spoon the pesto into an ice tray, freeze until solid, then remove the pesto “cubes” from the tray and transfer to a plastic freezer bag. Defrost as many cubes as you need at any one time by storing them in the fridge overnight. Voila, so easy!