How to Prepare Perfect Homemade Pesto

Homemade Pesto.

You can have Homemade Pesto using 10 ingredients and 9 steps. Here is how you cook that.

Ingredients of Homemade Pesto

1. You need 2 cup of Fresh Basil Leaves.
2. It's 1 1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
3. You need 1 1/4 cup of Grated Asiago Cheese.
4. You need 1 cup of Pine Nuts.
5. Prepare 3 small of Lemons.
6. It's 1 tbsp of Minced Garlic.
7. It's 1 tbsp of White Balsamic Vinegar.
8. You need 1/2 tsp of Kosher Salt.
9. It's 1/2 tsp of Ground Black Pepper.
10. It's 1 dash of White Pepper.

Homemade Pesto step by step

1. In a dry non stick skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium-low heat until they are golden brown and give off a fragrant nutty smell. Note: Pine nuts can be expensive, the most economical source for them has been Sam's Club..
2. Using a micro planar, remove the zest (just the yellow surface) from all 3 lemons and then juice all 3 lemons. Strain the juice to remove seeds and pulp..
3. Add basil (firmly pack the basil into the measuring cup when portioning), pine nuts, garlic, juice (strained) and zest of the lemons, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and white pepper to a food processor. Note: Minced garlic in a jar from your local grocery store works great and saves time. Using jarred garlic is preferred as it has less bite than fresh garlic..
4. Process the ingredients until a paste is formed. Note: You may have to scrape the sides of the container occasionally to get an even paste like mixture..
5. Using a micro planar, grate the Asiago cheese and add to the food processor. Note: Parmesan or Romano cheese work just as well as Asiago. The slightly higher moisture content of Asiago makes for a creamier end product with a smoother flavor..
6. Process the ingredients until a paste is formed. Note: You may have to scrape the sides of the container occasionally to get an even paste like mixture..
7. While food processor is running, add the olive oil. Note: you can add more or less olive oil as necessary to reach your desired consistency for the pesto..
8. Serve and enjoy. This can be used on pasta, sandwiches, salads, or anything else you want..
9. This recipe makes a large amount of pesto. Pesto can be frozen for later use. A ziplock bag or a nice cube tray work well for this..