This pesto is made with a mix of sweet basil, Greek basil, Thai basil and cinnamon basil – a taste sensation. I didn’t even need to add any cheese.
I’ve been growing my own basil this summer and it has been super successful – lush, abundant and incredibly flavourful. I’ve gone for as many kinds as possible – traditional sweet and Greek basils as well as strikingly different varieties like cinnamon and liquorice-scented Thai.
A squeeze of lemon juice keeps the pesto bright green and also adds tangy flavour and a few extra vitamins. I would usually add nuts and grated pecorino or Parmesan to a basil pesto, but the flavour from the different varieties was so striking, it really didn’t need it.
One of my favourite things about summer…
Spoon onto roasted veggies, toss through hot pasta or season cooked whole grains.
Mixed basil pesto
Ingredients
mixed basil pesto
- 1 lemon juice only
- 2 cloves garlic
- 200 g fresh basil as many kinds as you can get
- 100 ml cold-pressed oil
Instructions
for the pesto
- Juice the lemon into a small bowl and crush in the garlic. Set aside to cure for 20 minutes.
- Put the basil and lemon-cured garlic in a food processor and blend to break down the leaves. Drizzle in enough olive oil to make a loose paste, scraping down as necessary (you might need more or less oil).
- Season well – this is really important to bring out the flavours of the basil.
