BASIL PESTO WITH CASHEW NUTS
- 80 g fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried
- 50 g raw cashew nuts
- 80 ml good quality olive oil
- 125 ml grated Parmesan
- pinch of salt
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
Put everything into food processor or blender and pulse/process until finely chopped paste with a bit of grainy texture from the nuts.
Spoon into a sterilised glass jar, smooth the top and cover with enough olive oil to seal off the pesto.
Put screw lid on and keep in fridge for about a month. Makes approximately 250 ml pesto.
How to use:
Stir into hot pasta. Serve on platter with cold meats, olives, cheese and ciabatta loaf.
Stir a teaspoon through half a cup of mayonnaise and serve with grilled chicken or fish.
Spread onto hot grilled ciabatta slices and top with cold slices of roast beef.
Mix a teaspoon of pesto into 50 ml of olive oil and drizzle over a Caprese salad (tomato, provolone cheese slices and basil leaves).
It’s got so many uses that I always have a bottle of pesto in the fridge.
Recipe and photo: Elsabie Templeton
