Pesto is a great way to easily use up a large amount of leaves.

Ingredients

  • 50g parmesan
  • 50g nuts/seeds – try pine nuts, beech nuts, sunflower seeds, cashews
  • 200g fresh leaves – try basil, spinach, sorrel, radish leaves, pea shoots, baby kale
  • 1-3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 200-300 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • Half a lemon, squeezed
  • salt and pepper

Method

  • Toast the nuts or seeds for two minutes in a dry pan.
  • Whizz up the parmesan, nuts, leaves, garlic and 200 ml oil in a food processor.
  • Add more oil if necessary and mix again.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste, and the lemon juice.

Serving suggestions

  • Add straight to cooked pasta, with some fresh cherry tomatoes
  • As a pizza topping
  • Use in sandwiches – we love chicken and pesto, or cheese and pesto
  • Slice tomatoes and mozzarella and add basil then drizzle the pesto over generously for a great starter salad

Store

  • Keeps a few days in the fridge.
  • Best to share into small portions and freeze immediately, to be thawed out when needed.
  • I like to freeze in an ice cube tray then transfer to a box when frozen, which gives portions you can slice into toasties, or add to salads, or mix into pasta, or add to cooked tomatoes or fried mushrooms