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Easy Pesto Recipe | Cooking with Kids

August 20, 2013 //  by Uju//  8 Comments

Fresh Pesto Recipe

Pesto was a lifesaver for us when we had a supper fussy toddler (Ezra) as it was one of the few things he would eat, aside from plain pasta with butter.

I still rely on pesto from jars for a super fast dinner, but for a truly delicious pesto we make our own.

I can’t credit any one person for this particular recipe as I pretty much cobbled it together from a variety of recipes online, after checking out Jamie Oliver’s Pesto Recipe and deciding to put a twist on it.

You could make pesto in less than the time it takes to boil the pasta, especially if you whizz it in a food processor. But since I involve my little helpers and we use a pestle and mortar, it takes a bit longer, but it’s a lot more fun (and I’m convinced that grinding by hand helps bring out the flavours)!

Easy Cook Pesto

Ingredients

Fresh basil – about 3 handfuls
Fresh parsley – a couple of handfuls (we use a higher basil to parsley ratio)
Pine nuts or Cashew Nuts (we prefer the latter)
Garlic – 3-4 cloves
Grated Parmesan Cheese – about a cup
Olive Oil
Black Pepper
Sea Salt
 

How to Make Pesto (with the Babes)

 
Making Pesto with the Babes

Toast the nuts lightly in an open pan on the stove before transferring to the mortar and grinding with pestle. Chop garlic as small as possible, add to mortar and grind some more. Pluck the basil and parsley leaves, shred or chop finely and grind with the mix. Add the cheese and keep grinding and mixing, savouring the aroma! Chuck in a couple of glugs of olive oil. Season to taste with black pepper and salt. Serve in spoonfuls over warm pasta.

Yummy Recipe for Pesto

Tip: We like to top off the dish with some stir-fried diced bacon and mushrooms.

Pesto with Pasta and Bacon

Fresh pesto is also great spread over grilled chicken breasts or salmon parcels.

Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesdays on HonestMum.com

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Category: FoodTag: easy recipe, eating, family food, kids cooking

About Uju

Uju Asika is a writer, blogger and creative consultant. She is the author of Raising Boys Who Do Better: A Hopeful Guide for a New Generation (DK/Penguin Random House), Bringing Up Race: How to Raise a Kind Child in a Prejudiced World (Yellow Kite/Hachette UK) and the delightful picture book A World for Me and You, illustrated by Jennie Poh (Hachette Children's Group). Uju's books are available at Bookshop.org, Amazon, Waterstones and other good bookshops. Follow Uju @babesabouttown on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Capture by Lucy

    August 20, 2013 at 3:25 pm

    Love this recipe. My boys adore nuts and it’s great to introduce them to more adult flavours. Thanks for sharing!

  2. Uju

    August 20, 2013 at 4:54 pm

    Thanks Lucy! It’s such a simple recipe, the kids love mashing the pesto up and it’s very adaptable to your tastes too. Glad you like :-)

  3. HonestMum

    August 20, 2013 at 9:20 pm

    Oh wow, Mama that looks just delicious. I need to get O hammering away at making pasta! Nuts hate me so thinking nut free! Thanks for linking up x

  4. Coombemill - Fiona

    August 20, 2013 at 10:27 pm

    I love home made pesto pasta, just wish the basil in my green house would take. I am in the south of France this week and it grows like a weed here, I am so jealous!

  5. Uju

    August 20, 2013 at 10:45 pm

    I can only imagine Fiona, something about the soil out there just makes things grow and taste better it would seem! And I’m jealous that you’re in South of France ;-)

  6. Uju

    August 20, 2013 at 10:46 pm

    It is yummy and very easy to adapt, so I’m sure you could do away with the nuts altogether. O would love it, get him mashing :-)

  7. Nutritious Deliciousness

    August 21, 2013 at 12:37 pm

    How lovely to get the kids involved :)

  8. Uju

    August 21, 2013 at 12:45 pm

    The babes do enjoy cooking, I should get them involved more often — it just creates so much more time… and mess!

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I’m Uju, author, blogger, screenwriter. I curate cool finds and experiences for city families. Read more…

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