Easy Mint Basil Pesto Recipe
This easy mint, basil and parsley pesto is perfect to whip up in a whim. Serve a beautifully colored plate of al dente pasta drenched in fresh minty pesto sauce.By adding fresh mint leaves to this recipe we're adding a twist to the traditional pasta pesto alla Genovese. The mint adds freshness to the sauce, and balances nicely with the fresh basil and parsley.Once you've mastered this basic pesto recipe, you can try adding other green herbs to your liking. A little experimenting never hurt anyone!
Serves
4 - 6 persons
Ingredients
200 g basil leaves
100 g mint leaves
50 g parsley leaves
2-3 peeled garlic cloves
3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of roasted pine nuts (see note for nut-free alternative)
50 grams of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino cheese (or a mixture of both)
3-4 ice cubes
1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Tools
Instructions
Transfer the basil, parsley and mint leaves to your blender.
Add the ice cubes. The ice will make sure the pesto keeps its beautiful green color.
Next, add the garlic cloves and roasted pine nuts.
Zest the lemon on top. First zest your lemon before squeezing it, this makes zesting a lot easier. Only scrape the yellow part of the peel when zesting, the white part underneath tastes too bitter. Now you can cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from half a lemon into the blender.
Pour in the extra virgin olive oil.
Add the freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (and/or Pecorino).
To finish add salt and pepper to taste. Blend everything together until you reach your desired consistency.
How To Serve
Serve with warm or cooled al dente pasta. Keep in mind that by adding the pesto to warm pasta the color becomes darker.
Dice some cherry tomatoes in half and add some green peas to finish your pasta pesto. Not only do they add some beautiful colors to your palette, they a healthy and tasty addition to this dish.
Note
If you want to leave out the pine nuts or cut down the cost of you dish, breadcrumbs make a great alternative. Add 2 tablespoons of toasted breadcrumbs to the pesto right before serving for added texture.
