I also had basil from the Ithaca Farmers Market in the fridge that was wilting, so I went on a bit of a blending kick and made some lemon-basil pesto too. This is probably controversial but I don't like too much garlic in basil pesto, I think it can really overwhelm the basil.
Blend together: 60g of dry basil leaves; 20g of Parmesan cheese or soft goat cheese; 1 large garlic clove, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, zest of half of a lemon
Two notes, first, my favorite increment of measurement when cooking is weight, but I use volume intermittently but for something like basil, using weight is so, so much easier, I've read so many recipes over the years the include loosely packed or densely packed volume amounts for herbs and I find it incredibly difficult to decipher
And second, yes, Parmesan cheese or soft goat cheese, if you don’t like goat cheese, obviously don’t, but if you do, try it, it makes for a great soft consistency
Makes about 150g of pesto which is about how much you need for 6 servings of pasta.
Lemon-Basil Pesto
