Basil & Sunflower Seed Pesto - The Fundamentals of Homemade Pesto (FAK Friday)

Pesto might just be one of my favorite things in the culinary world. Period. It's so fresh, and vibrant, and, well, green. I can't think of a better example of how simple ingredients can come together in incredible ways. It also happens to be one of the most versatile condiments there is.

The most classic of all pestos are made with fresh basil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, garlic, and olive oil. Simple and delicious. And yet, none of these ingredients are set in stone. They are like individual parts to a machine, independent from one another, yet all working together to make a whole. Once you understand the inner workings, each component can be plucked from its place and substituted with another, making it infinitely adaptable.

Basically what all this means is, you can use whatever ingredients you want! Once you've got the fundamentals, tinkering with the recipe is easy.



Basil can be substituted with most any other greens, from spinach or arugula, to parsley, radish greens, mint, or chives. Those oh-so-pricey pine nuts aren't necessary, either, and can be swapped for whatever nuts or seeds you like. Walnuts are a favorite of mine, but almonds, cashews, and even pistachios would work just as well. As for the parmesan, any firm cheese will do, or it can be left out all together if you'd prefer to make your pesto vegan. Even the olive oil, the backbone of any good pesto, could be dethroned by some avocado or hazelnut oil. And of course, other ad-ins are always welcome. A splash of lemon juice, a bit of rosemary or sage, a touch of red chili flakes... the only requirement when it comes to making your own pesto is that each ingredient be as fresh and flavorful as possible.

I guess what I'm trying to saying is, pesto is all about you. Whatever you like, how you like it, put into a blender and lathered on everything. That's what I'm talking about.

Luckily for us pesto lovers, there are just as many ways to use the stuff as there are options for making it. Some of my favorites are:

• As a sauce on pasta (thin the pesto slightly with a ladle full of pasta water - this will also help the pesto cling to the noodles)
• Spread on a slice of fresh, crusty bread. It doesn't get much better than that, unless you want to go ahead and put some tomato and mozzarella on there, too. Go ahead, I won't mind.
• Swirled or braided into a loaf of homemade bread. Preferably with lots of parmesan baked on top.
• Served atop fish or other seafood. (You can check out my recipe for Tilapia with Arugula Walnut Pesto, here.)
• As a marinade or dressing for meat. Or not meat, such as tofu.
• Tossed with warm, roasted potatoes or other vegetables. Or, mashed into potatoes. Actually, I just thought of that one, but it sounds amazing.
• Or, oozing out of a grilled cheese sandwich, served with a bowl of garden fresh tomato soup. (Sounds pretty incredible, doesn't it? Get the recipe here)

And that only scratches the surface.

My other favorite thing to do with pesto is to freeze it. This way I always have it on hand, and when I make a big batch (anyone have a bunch of fresh herbs to use up? anyone?) it doesn't go to waste. I always prefer homemade pesto to store bought, and being able to thaw a few tablespoons whenever I want is pretty much my definition of awesome.

I like to freeze my pesto in an ice cube tray (1-2 TBSP per cube), then pop the cubes into a zip-top baggie for easy access. I always try to remember to make a big batch at the end of summer so I can have fresh pesto all winter long!

So, with all that raving about how versatile this stuff is, I'm going to share a very basic recipe. This is a great go-to for me whenever I have an abundance of basil in the garden. This time I opted to use sunflower seeds in place of pine nuts, but you could swap these for whatever you like. In fact, feel free to use this recipe as a very loose guide, and swap things out according to your tastes, or to use what you have on hand.

What's your favorite way to use pesto? Let me know in the comments below!

Recipe notes: one thing I almost always do when making pesto is to roast my garlic before hand. I like a lot of garlic, but it can sometimes be spicy and overpowering if it's raw. See my tutorial on how to roast your own garlic here: How To Roast Garlic - A Rose By Any Other Name

Feel free to play around with the ingredients in this recipe to your liking. Basil can be swapped for other herbs or tender leafy greens, and the sunflower seeds can be subbed with other seeds or roasted nuts. To make this pesto vegan, just leave out the parmesan cheese.

Simple Basil & Sunflower Seed Pesto

Makes about 1 cup - can easily be doubled or tripled

1 1/2 cups fresh basil, packed

1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds

5-6 cloves garlic, roasted (or 3-4 cloves raw)

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice, to taste

1/2-1 cup good quality olive oil, as needed

Salt, to taste

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

Method

1.    In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, sunflower seeds, garlic, parmesan, and lemon juice. Begin blending.

2.    While blending, drizzle in the olive oil to reach the desired consistency. You can make your pesto as thick or thin as you like.

3.    Season to taste with salt and red pepper flakes, and add a little more lemon juice if necessary. Pulse to combine.

4.    Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a two weeks, or freeze for up to 4-5 months.