Simple Basil Pesto

One thing that is important to me when sharing healthy recipes is emphasizing that healthy food does not have to be bland or boring. Healthy, fresh food can actually taste so much better than any takeout, restaurant food, or highly processed foods from the grocery store if you put in a bit of effort and know some tricks on how to make food taste better without sacrificing its nutritional quality. These tricks include using fresh, in-season, high quality ingredients that are available to you; using herbs and spices; investing in affordable cooking equipment like a meat thermometer that can help increase the quality of your cooking; and my personal favorite, using homemade sauces and marinades. Not only can learning these simple tricks increase the taste of your food, but it can actually be so much fun to learn new skills in the kitchen that make you feel more confident and start to view cooking as something fun and creative, rather than a chore we just have to get out of the way. Starting (and honestly staying) simple is always the way to go, and learning easy homemade sauces like a pesto that anyone can quickly whip up in your foods is just going to make this whole healthy living thing that much better.

Pesto was on the menu weekly in my house growing up so this sauce is something that truly brings in the nostalgia for me. This particular pesto recipe holds a special place in my heart because it is inspired by my mom’s recipe that I grew up eating. This was a recipe that I was always calling my mom about to replicate and will definitely be something I hope to pass down through generations. To me, this is what cooking and eating is all about and I love being able to share things like family recipes on this blog in hopes it will bring back old, traditional ways of cooking. Ways where mothers and grandmothers would teach daughters and grand-daughters how to cook and those recipes just keep getting passed down to younger generations over centuries. There is something so pure and beautiful about family recipes. They are a reminder that food is not just fuel, but it’s also a way for people to connect and make memories.

Pesto is traditionally an Italian sauce made with basil, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan and is typically used for pasta, risotto, or pizza recipes. It is packed with fresh, rich flavor that pairs beautifully with any otherwise bland food. Since it’s such a powerful flavor, foods tend to absorb this sauce so easily and can really be used for so many dishes. Whether you stick with the traditional route of using this sauce for pasta or pizza, or get a little creative and use it with things like quinoa bakes, as a marinade for chicken, as a topping for a piece of steak, or so many more things, this sauce will quickly become another pantry staple for you. Not only is it delicious and versatile, it is also incredibly easy to whip up. All you need is a food processor and your 5 ingredients and you’re on your way to making a delicious sauce that will elevate any dish.

Not only does pesto taste delicious, but it’s also a sauce that can add so many beneficial nutrients to a dish, especially if it’s homemade. Many store-bought sauces and marinades sneak in a ton of extra ingredients that do not necessarily provide any nutritional value including things like added sugars, preservatives, and excessive sodium. Making the switch to homemade sauces can elevate both the nutrient density and the flavor of your food in such a positive way, and it definitely doesn’t have to be complicated or take up tons of your time and energy. This Simple Basil Pesto, for example, is loaded with heart healthy unsaturated fatty acids from the olive oil and pine nuts, adds some extra micronutrients from the basil and nutritional yeast, and is only made up of 5 very simple and natural ingredients. This is such a great, easy way to start incorporating more homemade cooking into your home for anyone regardless of your cooking skills or time you have. Start small and keep it simple, your body and taste buds will thank you for it.

Nutrition Facts

• Basil is an herb that comes in a bunch of different shapes, sizes, and varieties, and not only does it taste absolutely incredible, but it also has some hidden nutritional qualities that I always like to highlight. Although eating basil won’t provide you the same nutritional benefits as a fruit or vegetable, basil can be a great supplement for flavor and added nutrients. Basil is especially high in Vitamin K and antioxidants as well as a few other vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, iron, and manganese.
• Nutritional yeast is used in this recipe rather than parmesan not only because it still brings in a similar cheesy flavor, but also because nutritional yeast is a very underrated food that can also supplement the nutritional quality of a dish. Nutritional yeast is a type of yeast that typically comes in a ground-up powder form and is an incredible source of B-vitamins, is a complete plant-based protein, and also provides a variety of other nutrients including fiber, iron, and potassium. This commonly unknown flavoring agent is delicious and is also packed with nutrients, who knew cheesiness could be this good! I have used nutritional yeast as a topping for pasta dishes, in a variety of sauces, as a topping for popcorn, and so much more. I highly recommend adding this to your pantry list!

Servings: About 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh basil (packed)
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ⅓ cup pine nuts
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

Instructions

1. Add the basil, minced garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, and nutritional yeast to a food processor.
2. Process on high-speed in 30 second intervals, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula after each interval. 
3. Process for a total of about 2-3 minutes or until a smooth consistency is reached, all pine nuts are blended, and there aren’t any big chunks of basil leaves.
4. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or store in the freezer for up to 6 months.