Pesto is probably my most favorite sauces and I frequently use it in my day to day cooking. I’ve tried lots of different brands of store bought pesto and very few of them compare with fresh homemade pesto. This pesto recipe is quick and easy and can be adapted to your perfect flavor preference. I like my pesto with just a hint of lemon and nice and salty with plenty of parmesan cheese. I also prefer using toasted pinenuts but you could swap out for pistachios or walnuts. Below I’ve also provided you with two easy ways to use your pesto with a Naan Bread Caprese Pizza and copy cat Noodles & Company Pesto Cavatappi.
Homemade Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup toasted pinenuts
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Toast the pinenuts in a small pan for 3-5 minutes over medium-low heat until slightly golden brown. Allow to cool for a minute or two.
- Add all the ingredients except the olive oil to the bowl of a food processor. Run the food processor and slowly pour in the olive oil through the opening in the lid. Scrap down the edges of the bowl and blend until you have a smooth sauce.
- Use sauce right away in your favorite recipes or keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also place pesto in an ice cube try and freeze small cubes to use in the future.
Naan Bread Caprese Pizza- I love making quick little pizzas for lunch by using small frozen Naan breads and then topping with whatever ingredients I have on hand. One of my favorite versions is topped with pesto, mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. I cook these little pizzas in my Cuisinart Airfryer Toaster Oven. It has a pizza option and perfectly bakes these individual pizzas in 4 minutes.
Copycat Noodles & Company Pesto Cavatappi
Ingredients
- 8 oz cavatappi pasta
- 3/4-1 cup pesto
- 2 Tbsp white wine
- 2 Tbsp half n half
- 1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
- Parmesan cheese for topping
- * Mushrooms- if you really want to this be a copycat recipe add in some sliced mushrooms. I am not a fan though and skip this.
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package for al dente.
- For the sauce you can use a second pan or I just waited until the pasta was done and used the same pot to only have to clean one. Pour the wine and tomatoes into the pan over medium heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the wine is slightly reduced down and the tomatoes are softened. Add the cream and pesto and stir until all combined. I started with just 3/4 cup of the pesto and then added more if I felt like it needed a stronger pesto flavor.
- Mix in the pasta with the sauce. Dish into 3 bowls and top with parmesan cheese. If I'm just making this for myself I like to make the whole batch so that I have lunch for the next two days. You could scale this down and just make one serving at a time.
