I make fresh basil pesto so often, I never even use a recipe!  A friend was asking how I made it, so I finally wrote down my basic measurements for you all.  Personally, I like to make pesto without a recipe and adjust according to my taste.

Here is the deal—everyone’s taste buds and consistency preferences are different, which is why I recommend adjusting this recipe to fit your flavor profile.  I like my pesto thick but I know a lot of people like it a bit more runny, so for that you would just add more olive oil.

So what can you make with pesto, besides eating it by the spoonful?

• Gluten Free, Grain Free Pesto, Peach & Burrata Pizza
• Pesto Chicken Caesar Salad
• with grain-free crackers and cheese
• atop fried or scrambled eggs with parmesan 

Fresh Basil Pesto

• 8 cups fresh basil, packed
• 3/4-1 cup extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 cup good quality parmesan, grated
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
• lots of fresh cracked black pepper

Directions

• Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. (Personally I start with about a half cup of olive oil and add more as needed so that it is not too runny, as basil is difficult to measure).
• Use an hand-held immersion blender to blend until smooth.
• Store in a glass mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.