Lemon Verbena Pesto Recipe
This pesto is packed with fresh, intense and delicious flavors. The texture is smooth and creamy, and the fragrance is unbelievably divine! *Makes approximately ¾ cup
Servings: 6
Calories: 142kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 5 cups loosely packed basil leaves* washed and dried
- approximately 2 dozen lemon verbena leaves, washed and dried
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 3 small garlic cloves, peeled, with root end trimmed off
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Toast pine nuts. Add the pine nuts to a small sauté pan and place it over medium-low heat. Moving the pan around often, heat just until they're golden, aromatic and shiny, about 3 minutes. They will be shiny from the oils coming to the surface. (Be careful, as they can go from just right to too dark in seconds.) Set aside to cool.
- Blend herbs. Add the basil and lemon verbena to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and blend until they're finely chopped.
- Add remaining ingredients and blend. Add the toasted pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic and sugar to the food processor, and blend until everything is mixed. Then add the extra virgin olive oil and blend until it's a smooth mixture.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
Notes
Nutritional information is only an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 68mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1107IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 1mg