Pesto is something I make often and I have made many different flavour variations over the years. Whichever the version, it’s a very versatile dish and certainly more than just a pasta sauce. This Thermomix Pesto is no exception.
What is Pesto?
Originating in Italy, Pesto is traditionally a green sauce made by crushing ingredients together with a mortar and pestle.
Lucky for us, thermal cookers make light work of this traditionally fairly labour intense process. Instead, blitzing it down to a great consistency in just a few seconds.
The traditional mix of ingredients is basil, pine nuts, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, garlic and salt.
Not one to stick to traditions, the ingredients in this Basil Pesto is my family’s favourite combo. It uses (clockwise from top left):
Baby spinach
Salt
Garlic
Apple cider vinegar
Sunflower seeds
Pepitas
Tahini
Basil
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
It’s so easy!
Basil Pesto is simple to make, with just three steps.
1. Toast pepitas and sunflower seeds until nice and golden.
2. Blitz Parmesan and garlic in thermie.
3. Add remaining ingredients and blitz!
Ways to use Thermomix Basil Pesto
As I mentioned, Basil Pesto is a very versatile sauce with many possible uses. Here are some of my favourite ways to use it:
Stir through pasta sauce – It’s good to thin Pesto out with a little of the pasta cooking water to make it easier to coat all the pasta.
Dip – Perfect for dipping veggie sticks and crackers! You can either use it as is, or combine with some cream cheese.
Pizza sauce – We love this Thermomix Pesto spread on a pizza base and topped with mushrooms and mozzarella, or strips of zucchini dotted with blue cheese.
Sandwich spread – Great with all sorts of sandwich fillings, my favourite is plain and simple: spread Pesto on a slice of fresh sourdough, top with a slice of cheese and the second piece of bread. Toast in the sandwich press. Yum.
Roast veggies – Topping your roast veggies with a generous dollop of Pesto upon serving really takes them up a notch.
Salads – Increase the olive oil and turn a portion of this Basil Pesto into a delicious salad dressing.
Scrolls – Spread Scroll dough with generous amounts of Basil Pesto then top with cheese before rolling up.
How do you like to serve Pesto? I’d love to hear in the comments below the recipe!
My daughters would live on Pesto pasta if they had it their way! Have you tried my Pesto Pasta with Broccoli? It’s a great guide for you on how to use some of this Thermomix Pesto.
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Basil Pesto – Nut-Free
Ingredients
- 60 g pepitas
- 60 g sunflower seeds
- 70 g Parmesan cheese diced 1.5cm (Note 1)
- 1 garlic clove
- 60 g fresh basil
- 60 g baby spinach
- 80-100 g extra virgin olive oil
- 50 g hulled tahini
- 20 g apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Place pepitas and sunflower seeds in a dry frying pan. Toast until seeds start to change colour and pop. Set aside to cool.
- Place Parmesan and garlic in mixer bowl. Blitz 3 seconds/speed 8/MC on.
- Add remaining ingredients (just 80g oil for now). TURBO/4-5 times, until it reaches your desired consistency. If it needs the extra oil, add it now and TURBO again.
- Use what you need and if you have left overs, store in a clean jar covering the surface of the Basil Pesto with a thin layer of oil – this will preserve the colour. Use within a week.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note, nutrition information is calculated via an online recipe nutrition calculator and is a guide only. It is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed 100% accurate. I am not a nutritionist or trained health professional.
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Hi, I'm Bec
I specialise in great tasting vegetarian Thermomix recipes and cater for a wide range of dietary needs. I love sharing here and in my cookbooks my healthy, delicious recipes (of course the odd treat too!) Whether you’re looking to ignite your thermo mojo, or just after some new, really tasty family friendly recipes, there really is something here for everyone
Will this still blitz properly if I have the recipe?
So sorry, Nikki, I’ve only just seen your comment here. This recipe should be absolutely fine to halve. You may need to scrape down the bowl and give it another blitz if there are still some bigger chunks.
[…] home made barbecue sauce, ham and cheese, or home made tomato sauce, pineapple, ham and cheese, or pesto and cheese, or mushroom, spinach, spring onion and cheese, or sweet chilli sauce and cheese, or […]
I’m wondering how much pesto this makes, that is, how much pasta to cook to use it all?
Great pesto Bec, I didn’t add Parma to make dairy free and whole 30 compliant! I did add some rocket too just coz I had it!
Makes heaps, and thanks for the tip on the oil to keep longer 🙂
This pesto is amazing ! I’m mixing it with sour cream and putting it thru cauliflower pasta thanks yet again Bec for another winner