High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Basil & Olive Pesto
Bright, herby, and built entirely from whole ingredients you can actually recognize, this pesto is a breath of fresh air compared to the jarred stuff lining grocery store shelves. Many store-bought pestos and condiments sneak in sweeteners or syrups to balance flavor, but this one gets all its depth from fresh basil, briny green olives, and a hit of lemon zest ā nothing artificial, nothing hidden. The olives are the real secret here, adding a savory, buttery richness that replaces the need for pine nuts while keeping the texture beautifully lush. A slow drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil through the food processor brings everything together into a silky, flecked sauce that clings perfectly to pasta, grilled vegetables, or crusty bread. Fresh parsley is an optional addition that brightens the color and adds a subtle earthiness if you want to take it one step further. It comes together in minutes and stores easily in a jar, making it one of the most useful things you can keep in your fridge all week.
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Learn more āIngredients
6 servings
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- ā cup pitted green olives
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Ā½ tsp lemon zest
- Ā½ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- Ā½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1ā2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the basil leaves, green olives, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 8ā10 times until the mixture is coarsely chopped and the garlic is broken down.
- 2
With the processor running, pour the olive oil in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube, processing until the pesto is smooth with a few flecks of texture remaining ā about 20ā30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, then pulse once or twice more to incorporate.
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