Simple Roasted Garlic Pesto Recipes

ROASTED GARLIC PESTO WITH A SECRET INGREDIENT

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 200ºC/180ºC Fan forced/Gas mark 6
• Cut the top off the garlic bulb so that the garlic is exposed but each clove is still connected to the root.
• Peel the very dry out layers of paper off the bulb of garlic.
• Cut a large square of aluminium foil and place the garlic on it.
• Gather up the sides and scrunch at the top.
• Place the garlic bulb into a large muffin tin and roast for 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
• Place the parmesan into a food processor and whizz until well chopped. (If your food processor isn't very powerful you might want to grate the cheese by hand)
• Add the pine nuts to the cheese and whizz again.
• Squeeze the garlic out of the skins and add to the processor, pulse until you have something that resembles something between breadcrumbs and wet sand.
• Push in the fresh basil leaves, spinach then pour over the olive oil.
• Whizz the mixture until you have a thick fragrant paste.
• Taste and add salt as required.
• Pour your pesto into a jar and cover with a thin layer of oil to prevent the basil from discolouring.

ROASTED GARLIC PESTO

Steps:

• Prepare the roasted garlic. Slice the top of the garlic head, drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt and wrap with aluminum foil. Place in a 350* oven for 40-50 minutes until soft and caramelized.
• Add all ingredients to a food processor, squeezing the roasted garlic into the mixture.
• Pulse for 30-60 seconds, until a smooth texture is achieved.
• Taste. Add more salt if the flavor is lacking, more lemon juice if the flavor is flat or bland, and more olive oil for a thinner consistency.

ROASTED GARLIC PESTO

Steps:

• Remove the loose papery stuff from the outside of the garlic. Slice the top of the garlic off, enough so the tops of the cloves are exposed. Place the whole head of garlic on a piece of tin foil, drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil over the top, and pull the tin foil up around it and twist close. There are two ways to roast the garlic:
• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Place the wrapped garlic directly on the grill, close the lid, and roast for 30 minutes.
• Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze it to extract the roasted cloves. Place the roasted garlic, basil, pine nuts, salt, lemon juice and Parmesan cheese in a blender or food processor. Pulse a few times to chop and mix the ingredients. With the machine running, slowly add 1/3 cup of olive oil. Check for salt and add additional, if necessary. Makes approximately 1 cup.

ROASTED GARLIC BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Slice the root end off the garlic and brush with some olive oil Roast garlic, wrapped in foil at 375 for about half an hour. It should be extremely soft and golden brown. Squeeze all the garlic from the cooled head to add to the recipe. (You can also just peel garlic and slowly saute in olive oil until golden.)
• OPTIONAL STEP--- Have ready a bowl of ice water. In a saucepan of boiling salted water blanch basil, a handful at a time, 2 seconds, transferring with a slotted spoon to bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain basil in a sieve and pat dry. This prolongs the life of the pesto sauce and makes it better for freezing.
• In a food processor or with an immersion blender, purée basil with remaining ingredients until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Makes about a cup and a half -- .

SIMPLE GARLIC AND BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Place the basil in a blender. Pour in about 1 tablespoon of the oil, and blend basil into a paste. Gradually add pine nuts, Brazil nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, chili powder, and remaining oil. Continue to blend until smooth.

GARLIC SCAPE PESTO

Steps:

• Blend the garlic scapes, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper together in a food processor until smooth.