A Plethora of Pestos

My kitchen garden features a fair number of culinary herbs and I've been putting those herbs to good use with pesto. Pesto is the perfect way to preserve an abundance of herbs, as they freeze well, especially if you don't add cheese.

I've been making a variety of pesto - mixing and matching ingredients to create new recipes. The idea is that any pesto has a basic set of ingredients - the fresh herb, an oil, a nut, the aromatics, and sometimes an acidic, usually citrus. Within this concept I've been improvising and have been creating some truly fantastic recipes.


Let's start with a Basic Basil Pesto - the one everyone thinks of when they think of pesto.

Basic Basil Pesto
3 cups fresh basil
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 cloves of garlic
1/4 olive oil
salt and pepper

Put all of the ingredients, except the oil into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and blended. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle the oil into the mix until a smooth, and somewhat creamy textured is achieved.

Again, I have omitted the cheese, which in a traditional basil pesto would be Parmigiano Reggiano. Leaving out the cheese both reduces the fat content and allows for a nicer texture when freezing the pesto. By all means, add the cheese when serving your pesto with pasta.

I based this next one on the idea of an Herbs De Provence bouquet .

Pesto Provencal
1 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup fresh tarragon
1/4 cup fresh thyme
1/2 cup fresh oregano
1/4 cup marjoram
1/4 cup sage
1/3 cup almonds, chopped
3 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup grape seed oil
2 tablespoons of orange juice
salt and pepper

Put all of the ingredients, except the oil into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and blended. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle the oil into the mix until a smooth, and somewhat creamy textured is achieved.

Make sure when your measuring your fresh herbs that they are loosely packed, and don't fret about being too exacting.


This next one is hands down my favorite - I took my inspiration from Thai cuisine.

Thai Pesto
3 cups fresh cilantro
1/3 cup no-salt peanuts, chopped
3 scallions, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, rough chopped
1/4 cup grape seed oil
juice of a very juicy lime
salt and pepper

Put all of the ingredients, except the oil into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and blended. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle the oil into the mix until a smooth, and somewhat creamy textured is achieved.

I've also made a variation of this Thai Pesto - after my cilantro had bolted I substituted lemon basil as the main attraction. It was delicious.

Parsley Pesto
2 cups fresh parsley
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 fresh chives
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper

Put all of the ingredients, except the oil into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and blended. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle the oil into the mix until a smooth, and somewhat creamy textured is achieved

When I use any nut other than pine nuts I chop them first. Otherwise they tend to bounce wildly around in the food processor. Also note that I often use grape seed oil instead of olive oil, it has a milder flavor which really lets the other ingredients shine.

This next one is a garlic lover's dream. The flavor is reminiscent of some Indian Chutney's I've had. I was only able to make this once as the season for green garlic is extremely short.

Green Garlic Pesto
8-10 sprigs of fresh green garlic
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt and pepper

Put all of the ingredients, except the oil into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and blended. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle the oil into the mix until a smooth, and somewhat creamy textured is achieved.

And finally a Cilantro Pesto which has similar ingredients to the Thai Pesto. But the addition of fresh ginger, and the switch between peanuts and almonds, and lemon for lime juice makes it completely unique in flavor.

Cilantro Pesto
3 cups fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno rough chopped
1/3 cup almonds chopped
2 tablespoons diced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/4 cup of grape seed oil
salt and pepper

Put all of the ingredients, except the oil into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and blended. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle the oil into the mix until a smooth, and somewhat creamy textured is achieved.

Most of these recipes will yield between a cup and a cup and half of pesto. I freeze mine in half cup portions, which seems about right for serving two. Pesto is most commonly tossed onto pasta, but it can also be used as a spread on sandwiches, or to spruce up grilled chicken or fish. I also like it on a baked potato.

Enjoy!