Nut Free Basil Pesto

This is a nut-free adaptation of 101cookbooks “How to make pesto like an Italien Grandmother” recipe. You will need a mezzaluna for chopping as this is done the old fashioned way, sans food processor.
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Nut Free Bail Pesto

• 1 large bunch of basil
• 3 medium cloves of garlic
• one small handful of sunflower seeds
• 3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan
• A few tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

Start chopping the garlic and 1/3 of the basil leaves together. As you chop keep adding handfuls of basil.

When the basil is all gone add the seeds and chop some more. When the seeds are finely chopped add the parmesan and you guessed it … keep chopping. And then chop-choppy-chop some more! It took me about 30 minutes of chopping but I am notoriously disastrous in the kitchen and it took me awhile to get the hang of the mezzaluna (rounded blade you see in the photos).

I also had a small incident where the cutting board got away from me and half my pesto flew on the floor… sadly a common occurrence for me. The pesto is ready once everything is so finely chopped that you can mush it all together in a ball. Transfer to a bowl and add your olive oil.

At this stage you can either store it in the fridge until dinnertime or freeze it in an ice cube tray for future use. If you’re freezing it stick the ice cube tray in a plastic bag and you should be good for a few months. I add it to soup, stew, stirfry, roasted potatoes or marinades for a little taste of summer throughout the fall.