Perfect Pesto Recipe

By Rex Marketing & CX Team

Fork twirling pesto pasta with basil, Parmesan, garlic, hazelnuts, and oil bottle on blue background

American Vinegar Works Perfect Pesto

A vibrant green and herbaceous pesto. Ready in minutes and sure to impress. The secret to retaining the bright greens in this pesto is in the use of ice as part of the blending process. Arugula balances the richness of the cheese and the pine nuts in this pesto, while finishing it off with the addition of roughly chopped hazelnuts adds texture. And, of course, our olive oil ties it all together. Pair it with a bronze drawn pasta to allow the sauce to really stick to the pasta.

This will make enough pesto for 4 starter servings of pesto pasta.

This recipe features our California Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Related products

500ml bottle of American Vinegar Works Organic Olive Oil, made from Arbequina and Koroneiki olives.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: California Organic

Prices: Sale Price: $29.00

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Perfect Pesto

American Vinegar Works

Servings

4 Starter Servings (for pasta)

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cuisine

Italian-Inspired

Category

Dressings & Sauces

This Perfect Pesto is a vibrant, herbaceous sauce that comes together in minutes, ready to impress. The secret to its brilliant green color is a chef's trick: adding ice cubes during the blending process to keep the herbs from oxidizing. The richness of parmesan and roasted pine nuts is balanced by the peppery bite of arugula, while a final addition of roughly chopped hazelnuts adds a delightful textural crunch. It is brought together with California Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a luxurious finish.

Perfect Pesto

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup of roasted pine nuts

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • 3 ounces basil leaves

  • 3 ounces of arugula

  • ½ teaspoon of salt

  • 2 cups of grated parmesan (loosely packed/ as airy as it grates)

  • ½ cup roasted hazelnuts

  • ¾ cup of California Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

  1. Blend in a food processor the pine nuts, garlic, basil, arugula and 2 ice cubes until the pine nuts have been fully blended. 

  2. Add parmesan, salt, and hazelnuts. Blend this portion less thoroughly—you are going for some small but visible grains (not chunks) of hazelnut.  This will add a bit of texture to your pesto.

  3. Finally, add the olive oil and blend just enough to mix in thoroughly.  The pesto may taste slightly salty by itself but should work well when blended with your pasta.  

  4. This pesto will taste best and will have the brightest green color if made at the time of intended use. 
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