recipe reviews for:

Simple Garlic and Basil Pesto

“This recipe is something that you can make quickly and easily using a blender. Everything you need is easy to find in your local supermarket. This paste is great for putting on or in meat and pastas, or with cottage cheese in stuffed pasta shells. Once I start making this, the orders from friends and family keep coming in. For best taste, pesto should be heated up in the meal it's being prepared with.”

SORT REVIEWS BY:
DATE
RATING
MOST HELPFUL

Reviewed: Nov. 19, 2009

This was so tasty! I used pine nuts, since I always have those handy. I used up all my summer basil and made pesto "ice cubes" to freeze for a taste of summer during the winter.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

L. Phelps

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Nov. 14, 2009

Great pesto! I used it in "Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad with Chicken, Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes" by Pam Anderson from this site. I've aldo spread it on crusty french bread and in a pesto cream sauce for whole wheat pasta. I did use all pinenuts, but that was my only change.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Maryam

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Nov. 12, 2009

What makes this recipe great is that the ingredients are simple (I never add Brazil nuts--I would if I had them on hand) and it always turns out perfect. I have to give five stars to a recipe where I never measure anything but it turns out great anyway.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Whitney M.

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Nov. 11, 2009

Real winner! I over-planted basil this year and was looking for ways to use/store it. This did the job nicely.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Rob

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Oct. 20, 2009

Good flavor for chicken and pasta dishes! I froze mine in ice cube trays and enjoyed it all winter. I did leave out the brazil nuts and I like it this way. No other changes to suggest.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

EGRACE1

Cooking Level: Expert

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Oct. 14, 2009

Delicious! I used walnuts instead of brazil nuts (too lazy to shell and couldn't find any shelled) and it was just wonderful.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

She Woody

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Oct. 8, 2009

It was so easy and quick. I didn't have pine or brazil nuts, so I used sliced almonds instead for crunch. It worked out perfectly. I will definitely be making this again.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Kate T

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Oct. 7, 2009

I halved the ingredients to make a pasta dish for two. I omitted the brazil nuts and used a hand immersion blender to put it all together. The sauce was completed in 5 minutes flat and came out perfect. I added some coarse grey sea salt and heated it in a saucepan, adding a little heavy cream, and tossed it with papparadelle pasta. Delicious!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Catherine B.

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Alameda, California, USA

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Sep. 22, 2009

This was very easy and tasty. Even if you have to replace ingredients, it still holds up.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

ilaniguana

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Sep. 22, 2009

This is wonderful! I added way too much garlic and still loved it. I froze it in ice cube trays then popped the frozen cubes into a freezer bag. One cube is enough for most recipes.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

LAURAMATTNSHAINA

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Sep. 21, 2009

Great base recipe and very flexible. I made it in my Cuisinart instead of the blender and tossed most of the ingredients in at once instead of gradually. I omitted the chili powder and used extra pine nuts (which I toasted first) in place of Brazil's. I also used Grana Padano cheese instead of Parmesan, which has a bit more nuttiness. All together it was really yummy! Am serving it over cheese tortellini.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

TJLUX

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Sep. 19, 2009

Delicious! This is the best basil recipe yet! I toasted the pine nuts and brazil nuts for about 4 minutes in the toaster oven at 425. I added some kosher salt and pepper to taste, and was generous with the garlic. I was reluctant to add the chili powder, but I went ahead and it really is very subtle. I have made pestos with walnuts, pecans, etc so in a pinch you can use just about any nut, but pine nuts are traditional. Thanks for the recipe!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Sarah

Cooking Level: Intermediate

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Sep. 14, 2009

It was excellent. I did however use extra Basil because we love love love basil and I put less nuts in it. I also put a little less olive oil. Thank you for sharing.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

parastu

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Sep. 8, 2009

This is the first time I made pesto. There are two large lemon basil plants in my back garden. I created the paste like texture from my Kitchen Aid food processor. I did not use any Brazil nuts, only pine nuts. Like other reviewers, I did not add a full cup of olive oil. I experimented with the oil by starting with only a half cup and increasing it to almost 3/4 of a cup. Like anything else, it's easier to add than remove. I also added 1/2 tsp of black pepper from my pepper mill to add some zip to the pesto. Finally, you just need to add enough pesto to coat the pasta. Anything more will be too overpowering.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

zoltman

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Toledo, Ohio, USA

Living In: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Sep. 7, 2009

This was pretty tasty, tossed with penne. Suprisingly, it did need a little salt, even with the parmesan. I'm serving the leftovers with pasta and shrimp tonight.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful

Reviewer:

opentoedshoesan

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Burlington, New Jersey, USA

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Sep. 5, 2009

Before I review a recipe I always follow the directions exactly as the author request. My family and I says this was the best tasting pesto sauce ever. It was very rich and nutty. It was very easy to make. I used it with penne pasta shrimp and chicken. YUMMY DELICIOUS!!!! Next time I think i wll use sausage and bowtie pasta...If its wonderful I will let you know!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Queen Valendra

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Sep. 2, 2009

great as it is.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

jmac5

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Aug. 31, 2009

I left out the brazil nuts and used salted sunflower seeds. I had a block of asiago so I used that in place of the parmesan. Delicious!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
0 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

HOTNSPICY

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Medina, Ohio, USA

My Profile | Cooks I Like | Reviews
Photos | Recipes | Blog

Reviewed: Aug. 25, 2009

A good starter recipe, though I found it bland, having left out the chili powder, which my family doesn't like. To brighten the flavor, I added some fresh lemon juice and some sea salt. Then, it was awesome! I doubled the recipe and froze quite a bit for winter.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
1 user found this review helpful