Yes you did read that right, strawberry basil pesto, a sweet pesto, what a novelty! The word pesto comes from the Italian to pound and as you make this in the same way as you make other pestos, the lack of parmesan and garlic, oh and okay olive oil doesn’t really matter, at least not in my world!
I came up with this recipe for strawberry basil pesto when I was writing my A Passion For Pesto eBook a couple of years ago. My Dad always put black pepper on his strawberries and I picked up the habit from him. When I was having a load of fun coming up with pesto ideas I suddenly remembered Dad and the pepper, why not do some sweet pesto style sauces as well. Mix herbs and fruits and maybe spices too, my sweet pestos were born!
What’s in it?
Apart from the strawberries, oh and make sure you go for local berries, not imported tasteless water filled rubbish, you really want ood flavoursome strawberries, let them shine! Basil, black pepper, clear honey or agave nectar, lemon juice and almonds. That’s all you need.
Here’s how;
Firstly you will want to toast the almonds, this recipe is just for about 1 cup of strawberry basil pesto so measurements are small, use a dry pan and watch them like a hawk, there are only a few here so don’t let them burn. Remove from heat as soon as they release their gorgeous nutty aroma and tip out of the hot pan or they will continue to cook. Allow them to cool completely before pulsing in food processor with all the other ingredients. Add a little water if you have to to get the consistancy you prefer.
How to serve;
Serve your bstrawberry basil pesto on top of good quality vanilla or strawberry ice-cream, over a plain vanilla cheesecake or with strawberries and cream themselves for a modern zingy touch to a real classic.
Enjoy a touch of summer flavour and sunshine.
K x
STRAWBERRY BASIL PESTO
Ingredients
- 100 g/31/2oz strawberries
- 1 tbasp minced basil leaves
- 1 tbsp flaked almonds broken up
- pinch of black pepper
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp clear honey or agave nectar
- water to loosen if required
Instructions
- Toast the almonds in a dry pan then allow to cool
- Place all ingredients in food processor and pulse till you get the consistancy you like
- Serve over ice-cream, cheese cake, pies etc
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