Basil Pesto Recipe - Love and Lemons (2024)

FAQs

What cuts bitterness in pesto? ›

Anything sugary will work: granulated white sugar, honey, fruit juices, even sweet dessert wines. Acid in the form of vinegar or citrus juices can make a pesto taste less bitter and could even enhance the flavour of the sauce at the same time.

We found that lemon juice, which contains both citric and ascorbic acid, preserved the pesto's green color without compromising its flavor, adding just a hint of pleasant acidity.

For modern makers who like the quickest method: Stick with the food processor. The pesto won't be as creamy, but if you're all about efficiency this will do the trick. For those on a budget or with small kitchens: Go for the mezzaluna or the immersion blender.

PESTO SHOULD NEVER BE “COOKED”. If you cook Pesto Sauce, you change the make up of the fresh basil and cause it to turn darker in color. It is best to warm it up and use it at room temperature. If it needs to be thinned out, you can do so by adding a little water, chicken stock, cream or white wine.

The most common reason for pesto tasting bitter is that the olive oil is past its best and has started to turn rancid. If the pesto has been made in a food processor or blender, there's also the possibility that it has turned bitter from the crude, sheering action of the blades.

Add a pinch of salt if the basil tastes too bitter or the pesto needs more zing. Add more Parmesan if you'd like a creamier/cheesier pesto. If desired, you can thin out the pesto with more olive oil.

The one thing we know for sure is that blanching delicate herbs like basil before using them in pesto helps the sauce stay greener for longer. That avoids the unfortunate situation of your pesto turning brown between the time of making it and the time of serving it.

Pesto Sauce

This fresh and fragrant pasta sauce is served uncooked, so choose a pasta shape that won't overwhelm it. Similar to oil-based sauces, pesto is served best with longer cuts of pasta, like the corkscrew shape of Fusilli. Pesto works best with Bucatini, Capellini, thinner Spaghettini, and Fettuccine.

Can you use basil stems in pesto? Absolutely! The great thing about making pesto is that you can use the entire herb in the sauce. If you get a bunch of basil with extra thick stems, you may want to trim those off, as your blender or food processor might not be able to handle them.

Pesto is a cold prepared condiment that should not be heated, let alone reheated. This is one of the reasons you use mortar and pestle to prepare it instead of blender. The heat created by the blades ruins your pesto. Whereas some pasta can be reheated, preferably by frying in pan, pasta with pesto can't.

Can you eat pesto straight from the jar? ›

Almost all the jarred pestos you find in the supermarket will have been pasteurised to not only ensure that they can last a long time unopened, but so they are perfectly safe to eat straight from the jar. There is no need to heat pesto, although too many people do.

The three Michelin-starred chef, Massimo Bottura, recommends adding an ice cube when making breadcrumb pesto in a blender. This, he says, is to prevent the heat of the blades from oxidising the basil.

Adding a little sweetness (normally sugar or honey) takes the edge off garlic's pungency and balances the acidity at the same time. Win-win!

Add a little lemon juice to the pesto. This helps mellows out any bitterness. Lemon juice also gives the basil pesto a little tang. Add more Parmesan cheese.

Actually the best way to get rid of the bitterness starts at the plant: cut out the flowers and buds as they form. It makes a huge difference.

Try a pinch of baking soda.

Sprinkle just a pinch into your food and mix it in well to see if that helps. This is a good trick for if you're cooking and realize that you added too much of a bitter ingredient. Mix in a pinch of baking soda before the dish is done to fix that.