the Sage Test Kitchen
Essential Basil Pesto
This is one speedy ticket to flavour town! Fresh basil gets some processing action with its pals pine nut and parmesan for a bright, fragrant pesto that really does need to go in your Essentials folder. Its uses are endless…classic pasta sauce, grilled-chicken topper or tomato salad…the list goes on.

the Paradice™ 16
+1 more appliance
15 mins total time
15 mins active time
Easy
Makes 500g
Ingredients
Measurements:
100 g parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlicpeeled
70 g toasted pine nuts
½ tsp Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepperto season
60 g basil leaves
250 ml extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- 1Assemble the processor with the green Quad™ blade in the bowl. Break the parmesan into pieces and place in the bowl with the garlic. Process until finely chopped. Add the pine nuts, salt, pepper and basil and process. While processing, slowly add the oil through the feed chute to emulsify. Scraping down the side occasionally.
- 2Your batch of basil goodness is blitzed – so what next? Grilled cheese sandwich, Margherita pizza, Italian burger…it’s no one-trick pasta-pony you know! And if you can’t decide…date n’ label your airtight container and refrigerate for a week or freeze up to a month.