It is green, smells spicy and is always eaten cold. Pesto is a light variant to refine pasta and give it your own special touch. It's also delicious and can be prepared in no time! In Italian, pesto means “crushed” because the ingredients are not cooked but processed raw. All lovers appreciate the classic version with basil; the ingredients are arbitrary and can be changed to suit taste. Whether with wild garlic, spinach, tomatoes or vegan – there is something for everyone. Are you an amateur chef who likes to experiment in the kitchen? Then read on - we'll show you how you can make your own pesto quickly and easily!
Make the classic basil pesto yourself: the most delicious recipe!
Basil pesto, also called Pesto alla Genovese, is the classic version of the Italian herb paste. It is slightly spicy and gives your dishes a very special touch. You should only make your own uncooked sauce once and then you will be without the finished product in the supermarket forever!
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch of basil
- 1 clove of garlic
- 100 ml mild olive oil
- 50 g pine nuts
- 40 g Parmesan, grated shortly beforehand
- 30 g Pecorino, grated shortly beforehand
Preparation:
- Briefly roast the pine nuts in a pan.
- Put all ingredients in a blender and puree finely on low speed.
- Alternatively, you can also use a mortar. In this case, mash the ingredients one by one in the following order: garlic, basil, pine nuts, cheese and olive oil. However, you should work quickly so that they do not oxidize and your pesto then turns brown.
- It's best to let it steep for about 20 minutes, then pour it into a tightly sealable jar and store it in the refrigerator.
Prepare Rosso variant
The counterpart to Pesto Genovese is the Rosso variant, which means “red” in Italian. Just like the others, the recipes for this variety vary depending on the region and cuisine. The pine nuts are often replaced with almonds, which add a sweet note to your sauce. Some cooks add basil, others taste the tomatoeswith herbslike rosemary. Professional chefs even add dried black olives and a little balsamic vinegar for an even more intense and unique taste. With the help of our recipe, you will make your own delicious red sauce in no time.
Ingredients:
- 50g almonds
- 1 jar (370 ml) dried tomatoes in oil
- 1 clove of garlic
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 80g Parmesan cheese
- Salt, pepper and optionally a sprig of fresh rosemary
Preparation:
- Roast the almonds in a pan without fat for about 5 minutes until golden brown and remove.
- Drain the dried tomatoes. Peel the garlic clove and dice roughly.
- Puree the tomatoes, almonds, olive oil and garlic using a hand blender.
- Grate the Parmesan and fold in. Taste.
- Pour the Pesto Rosso into a clean, sealable jar and chill.
It doesn't just go great with pasta. It is also a culinary delight with roulades, fish, pizza or roast beef. Do you want to serve your guests something special? Small bruschettas with spread tomato pesto are sure to make your friends' hearts beat faster.
Make from arugula
If you have arugula in your garden, you might want to know that you can use it to make more than just delicious salads. Thanks to its particularly intensely spicy taste, it also works well as a pesto. What is the difference between an arugula and a basil pesto if the two are green and have the same basic ingredients? The larger and darker the rocket leaves are, the more spiciness they have. Find out how to make a delicious, slightly spicy and peppery rocket sauce yourself!
Ingredients:
- 2 bunches of mild arugula
- 1 clove of garlic
- 100 g pine nuts
- 50g Parmesan cheese
- Dash of lemon juice
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Salt, pepper
Preparation:
- Remove the stems from the rocket, wash the leaves and pat dry.
- Roast the pine nuts and be careful not to burn them. Grate Parmesan finely.
- Put the rocket, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic clove and spices in the blender and chop roughly.
- Gradually add olive oil. Mix again and again until you get a creamy, not too thick mixture.
- The rocket pesto can be stored in the refrigerator, covered with plenty of olive oil, for about 3 days.
Recipe with avocado
A really good and tasty alternative to the classic Pesto Genovese is the variation with avocado. It is very quick and easy to prepare.Avocadosgive this recipe a silky consistency and ensure a fine, slightly nutty taste.It goes perfectly with pasta, as a spread or with grilled meat.
Ingredients:
- 2 Avocados
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 bunch of mixed herbs (basil, lemon balm, parsley)
- 80 Gramm Parmesan
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- Cayenne pepper (optional)
Preparation:
- Wash, drain and cut the basil. Peel and chop garlic.
- Halve the avocados, remove the stone and place the flesh in a bowl.
- Puree finely with the herbs, garlic and the remaining ingredients.
Spicy from wild garlic
You could say that wild garlic is the taste of spring. And for this reason we want to show you how you can make an extremely delicious wild garlic pesto yourself. With its spicy taste, it goes perfectly as a dip with bread or meat and of course with pasta.
Ingredients:
- 500 grams of wild garlic
- 75 grams of pine nuts
- 100 Gramm Parmesan
- 250 ml olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
- Wash, dry and chop the wild garlic.
- Lightly roast the pine nuts without adding oil.
- Grate Parmesan.
- Mix wild garlic with pine nuts and Parmesan.
- Using a hand blender at the lowest speed, mix the wild garlic mixture and olive oil. Season the finished product with pepper and salt.
A little tip: Hazelnuts are also very suitable instead of pine nuts.
Make your own spinach pesto
Spinach pesto is a great idea, especially for those who are always looking for new recipes and like to experiment in the kitchen. It tastes particularly good in spring because spring spinach has smaller and very tender leaves. For nuts, you can choose between pine nuts, almonds and walnuts or simply use all three for a unique taste.
Ingredients:
- 200 g young leaf spinach
- 50 g pine nuts
- 50 g Parmesan, freshly grated
- 150 ml olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 pinch of salt
Black caviar - how to serve the delicacy correctly?
Real black caviar is definitely one of the finest delicacies in the world and is not called “black gold” for nothing. When you have guests to feed, you don't want to go wrong. You can find out how to serve black caviar and what you should pay particular attention to in our article!
Preparation:
- Wash spinach leaves and drain well.
- Briefly roast the pine nuts.
- Process all ingredients in the blender to form a thin paste.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Prepare from zucchini
Zucchinis are the real stars of summer cuisine: versatile, delicious and almost calorie-free. A very interesting and delicious idea would be to make zucchini pesto by using the vegetables raw. It may seem a little strange to you, after all, we are all used to recipes with boiled zucchini. But the delicate taste and fresh note will win you over and you won't be able to do without this treat all summer long!
Ingredients:
- 250 g Zucchini
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 60 g peeled almonds
- 2 tbsp parsley
- 1 tbsp thyme leaves
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
- Crush garlic cloves. Wash and coarsely grate the zucchini. Squeeze out water.
- Place all ingredients in a blender and mix on low speed until desired consistency is achieved.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Make your own from beetroot
Bright red color and sweet, earthy taste: beetroot is one of the healthiest vegetables and makes this pesto a real vitamin bomb. In the bowl it looks like red velvet and has an exceptional taste.
Ingredients:
- 500 g cooked beetroot
- 70 g roasted pistachios (peeled)
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 60 g Parmesan
- Juice of one lemon
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
- Peel the garlic and pistachios and puree them together with the beetroot.
- Pour the puree into a sufficiently large bowl and first stir in the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Strip the rosemary needles from the branch, chop finely and add to the remaining ingredients.
- Finally, fold in the Parmesan and the pesto will have a velvety consistency.
Vegan pesto recipe
The classic goes perfectly with pasta or grilled fish. However, most versions contain Parmesan. But you can simply leave it out and have a delicious oneveganMake your own pesto. It takes less than 5 minutes and tastes extremely delicious and fresh!
Ingredients:
- 50 g pine nuts
- 50g walnuts
- 70 ml olive oil
- 50 g Basil
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 tbsp yeast flakes (provide a slightly “cheesy” taste)
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
- Put the pine nuts and walnuts in a hot pan and fry them without oil for about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn regularly so that the kernels don't get too dark.
- Place the seeds with all other ingredients (except the yeast flakes) in a suitable container for pureeing and process into a fine mass using the hand blender.
- Stir the yeast flakes into the mixture and season with salt and pepper.
