Mint-Basil Pesto Sauce

2 months ago, I never knew something like this existed. And here I am today, talking about Pesto Sauce like any other Italian! ;-) I guess blogging & extensive food-searching does that to you! ☻ Why I'm making this sauce? Well you have to read my next post for that. But I can tell you that this takes just 2 minutes of your time. And it gives a wonderful flavor to the dish!

Traditionally Pesto consists of crushed garlic, basil and pine nuts, blended with Olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

Wikipedia: Because pesto is a generic term for anything that is made by pounding, there are various other pestos, some traditional, some modern. For this reason, the original (and most common) pesto is now called pesto alla genovese or pesto genovese (both forms are used in both English and Italian)

But today I also added Mint leaves to the sauce. You can  totally skip it & make an original Pesto Sauce.

Ingredients

Fresh Basil (Tulsi) Leaves - 2 cups

Garlic - 3 cloves

Pine Nuts - 2 tablespoons (I used Almonds)

Salt - To taste - 1 teaspoon

Pepper - 1 teaspoon

Olive Oil - 1/4 - 1/2 cup

Grated Cheese - 1/4 cup (preferably Parmesan. I used Mozzarella)

Traditional Method (The traditional method of making pesto is with a mortar and pestle.)
STEP 1: Wash the leave well. Remove the stems. Dry leaves with a cloth.
STEP 2: Peel & Chop the Garlic.
STEP 3: Grate the cheese. 
STEP 4: Add the garlic to the mortar & crush lightly.
STEP 5: Add basil, Salt, Pepper, Pine Nuts / Almonds. Grind them continuously to get a paste.
STEP 6: Pound in the cheese.
STEP 7: When you have a crushed paste, slowly whisk in the oil little by little to get the desired consistency.
Your Italian Pesto is ready!

Alternatively, In a blender / Food processor / Grinder / Mixer -

- Add the garlic & mince.

 - Next, add the basil leaves, pine nuts, and a dash of salt and pepper to the bowl of the processor.

- While the processor is running, slowly drizzle in olive oil through the feed tube until all the ingredients are pureed 

- You may need to stop the processor at this point and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula to get every mixed together.

- Now add Parmesan cheese and mix it into the rest of the mixture. 

- If the pesto is too thick, add a tablespoon of water

Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use it. This should keep for 2 - 3 days in the fridge but freezes well if you want to keep it longer.