pesto Archives - Marisa's Italian Kitchen

A delightfully Easy Homemade Artichoke Pesto sauce made with oil and vinegar preserved artichokes, walnuts and parsley. Bursting with unmistakable fresh flavors, this irresistible pesto sauce comes together in mere minutes.

Nowadays its quite easy to find a variety of pesto sauces in your local grocery stores. But for once, I urge you to skip the store bought variety and try a homemade version from your own kitchen. Once you do…you never go back!

For one the flavors are far more superior but mostly its really just so, so easy to make your own. A food processor speeds up the process but also a hand held emulsion blender would work equally well here.

Also a homemade pesto can be customized to your own personal tastes. The walnuts can be substituted with almonds or other favorite nuts. And if you follow a vegan diet, you can simply omit the Parmesan cheese. This would still give you quite a flavorful and tasty sauce with all the nutritional benefits.

Artichokes are one of the more staple vegetables I grew up with and just adore. But I admit that they’re quite a chore to clean and requires lots of hands on experience to trim.

To simplify this pesto sauce I opted for oil and vinegar packed artichokes with the stems attached that are sold in glass jars. I drained them well and patted them down with paper towels because I really wanted the taste of my extra virgin olive oil to come through.

However, you can use frozen artichokes but just remember to thaw them first!

There are many ways you can enjoy this Easy Homemade Artichoke Pesto. Use as a condiment in your favorite sandwiches or top over crostini as a quick appetizer. Its also equally delicious accompanied alongside poultry or fish and makes an amazing quick sauce to toss with your favorite pasta.

Speaking of pasta, I would definitely say that these Trucchetti noodles with the elongated and twisted shapes make a perfect pairing with the creamy pesto sauce. The twisted form creates little crevices which traps and cradles the artichoke pesto and delivers lots of yummy goodness in every bite.

First off, when tossing the pasta with the pesto use some of the cooked pasta water to thin the sauce. Use only as much as needed because this will ensure even distribution throughout the pasta dish.

As a result you’ll be enjoying a wonderfully delicious pasta meal with a delightful creamy and flavorful sauce!

Buon Appetito!

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

Easy Homemade Artichoke Pesto

A delightfully Easy Homemade Artichoke Pesto sauce made with walnuts and parsley, bursting with fresh flavors and ready in mere minutes.

Course Condiment, Sauce

Author Marisa

Ingredients

12 ounce jar of oil packed artichokes
1/2 cup walnuts
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups firmly packed Italian parsley
2 generous pinches of chili pepper
2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to your taste

Instructions

In a food processor add the first 7 ingredients and with the motor running pour in the extra virgin olive oil and pulse just until you get a smooth paste.
Stir in the salt and pepper to your taste.
You can use artichoke pesto as a condiment in sandwiches, tossed with your favorite pasta or simply to enhance the flavors in a particular dish.

Recipe Notes

STORE PESTO in the fridge for up to 1 week with a layer of oil over the top to keep the greens from oxidizing or freeze for longer shelf life.

Pesto alla Genovese is a simple fragrant sauce and one of Italy’s most popular sauces originating from Liguria in the north-western part of the boot.

The essential ingredients are basil, garlic, pine-nuts, extra-virgin olive oil and aged Italian cheeses such as Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano or Grana Padana.

It is super easy, delicious and can be put together in mere minutes. Pesto is best served fresh while the flavors are bright, bold and strong but also keeps well in the fridge for up to one week, covered, with an extra layer of extra-virgin olive oil in the jar to prevent the basil from oxidizing or turning brown.

There are endless ways to use pesto. Try it as a flavor booster for minestrone soup, pizza topping or as a sandwich spread. Toss it with gnocchi or any pasta of your choice.

My favorite way is to toss it with linguine. So quick and easy and packed with the wonderful flavors of summer!

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh basil
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Step By Step Pesto

Place the basil, extra-virgin olive oil, pine nuts, garlic cloves and salt into a food processor or a blender.

Process on high using the shortest amount of time so the basil does not lose it’s vibrant green color. (When I make large quantities I freeze it at this point before adding the cheese.)

Unplug the machine and stir in the Parmesan cheese.

I used the end of a wooden spoon to reach down and stir. Or simply invert the pesto sauce into a small bowl and then stir in the cheese. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.