Pesto is an excellent addition to the table when served with other meals. Most recipes become far more delicious when you taste them with basil pesto. Nowadays many like to make it with a food processor. But if you prefer to have traditional pesto, you don’t need any extra technology.
But do you really know how to make pesto without a food processor? If you don’t, this article can be the perfect guide for you. Here, we will show you the correct method to prepare homemade pesto without getting hands on any type of machine. Now let’s start:
How To Make Pesto Without A Food Processor
One of the key rules to make fresh pesto sauces is getting all the ingredients in hand initially. Let’s have a look at what exactly you need for the overall process:
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups of fresh basil leaves
- Several tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 or 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup raw pine nuts
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
After gathering all the necessary ingredients, you need to follow some basic rules to make pesto. Let’s see the following instructions for that:
Chop Basil Leaves Thoroughly
First of all, take the basil leaves and separate them from the stem. Divide all of them into multiple portions. The reason is if you try to chop the pieces of basil altogether, the final product can have uneven length. Use a sharp knife to chop the green leaves of basil with the incorporation of minced garlic cloves.
Add Pine Nuts And Parmesan Cheese
During the chopping, don’t forget to add some ingredients. You can try any type of nut but we suggest going with the pine nuts and parmesan cheese. Their inclusion will increase the taste of the paste for sure. So add at least ½ cup pine nuts at first and chop the leaves. Then, add the remaining pine nuts and chop them again.
Now, it’s time to add the parmesan grated cheese. Repeat the same process that you followed in the case of pine nuts and finish adding the parmesan. After chopping one portion of all the leaves, get hands on the next portion. Accordingly, complete the chopping of all basil leaves finely.
Crush The Ingredients
After chopping the overall ingredients, it’s time to crush them. Take a sealed bag and put the ingredients into it. Then, use a mortar and pestle to roll over the bag to crush the elements perfectly.
Store For Future Use
After you complete the crushing of the ingredients, relocate the basil pesto into a bowl. Then, serve it with other dishes. If you want to have it for further use, store it in the refrigerator. That will allow the pesto to keep the flavor for a long period.
Also, consider adding a bit of olive oil and cheese to keep it fresh. On top of that, you can add seasonings to the pesto before serving. Eventually, the seasonings will sit properly on the pesto and the flavors will arrive in it.
Important Tips To Make Pesto
Making different pesto recipes without a food processor might sound like a hard-working task to do. But in general, the overall process isn’t that complex. However, you have to keep in mind some vital tips to make a flavorful pesto.
Choose The Right Basil
One of the most crucial things to remember while making pesto is choosing the right basil. There is a wide range of pesto available in different regions. But if we mention a specific one, Genovese pesto would certainly be the best among all. It’s because this type of pesto comes from young and small basil leaves. Hence, they make a delicious pesto that remains fresh for many days.
Follow The Proper Technique
A good quality basil pesto sauce requires the right technique to follow. Therefore, try to manage a sharp knife or a mezzaluna with a single blade to chop the basil leaves. If the knife is not sharp enough, the leaves might turn black. As a result, your beautiful pesto might end up with bitter flavors.
The overall chopping process takes around 15-20 minutes. Don’t rush, rather take breaks and add other ingredients between the processes.
Store Appropriately
A proper storage method is important if you want to preserve your delicious pesto for the future. Make sure you keep the pesto in a sealed bag with no air inside. Also, keep it in the refrigerator instead of keeping it under normal temperature.
Final Words
Pesto is fun to taste. You can serve pesto with pasta, crispy chicken, or even a salad. Nowadays people mostly prefer to have food processor pesto to make it. But if you still like the traditional technique of making homemade pesto, there is nothing to worry about its taste.
The old-fashioned recipe is still in vogue to prepare amazing pesto with great flavor. So for your convenience, this article explains how to make pesto without a food processor. Now gather your necessary ingredients and prepare pesto to make your meals even more delicious. Good luck!
