pesto recipes are pretty awesome/convenient because you can make pesto with almost any kind of green and any kind of nut (just whatever you have on hand)! this basil mint walnut pesto was the result of having a basil plant at home that needed to be all used up as it would not survive our week long vacation away, leftover mint (from the mediterranean tri-tip we made), and the fact that Ralphs didn’t have pine nuts.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves (washed & dried)
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves (washed & dried)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (lightly toasted)
- 3-4 cloves garlic (roasted)
- 1/2 cup good quality olive oil
- juice of 1 small lemon
- 1/2 – 2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- sea salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
1) Put the basil, mint, lemon, and half the oil in the food processor and pulse until well blended.
2) Add garlic, walnuts, cheese and drizzle in the rest of the oil. Pulse until smooth.
3) Add salt and pepper, pulse and adjust as needed (add a touch more oil if needed). It should be a paste-like consistency.
this basil mint combo was AMAZING and so perfectly fresh for summer! we used it to make a mediterranean quinoa pasta/salad. we cooked one 16 oz bag of white quinoa and then added the pesto, marinated artichokes from Trader Joe’s, chopped sundried tomatoes, and shredded chicken. so yummy (hot or cold)!
it’ll be fun making more pesto this summer and experimenting with different greens/nut combos to see what we like best!
alice in cook-ING land 