Thai Basil has a spicy, tangy flavor that is perfect for a savory pesto that can be made in about 5 minutes with 6 simple ingredients.
Jump to RecipeDid you know there are different types of basil? I didn’t until we bought an Aerogarden back in March. Yes, when the COVID quarantines started, we decided to go ahead and do a garden, even though we weren’t planning it this year. But, with how hot it gets in Houston, herbs just don’t survive outside.
Our friends have an Aerogarden and have really liked it, so we bought one, too. (I’ll do a full review later of it) It is a great way to grow herbs indoors without needing a lot of sunlight.
We got the herb kit for the garden, and it came with two different types of basil. The one we use the most, and the most common one, is Genovese Basil. But the other, Thai Basil, is very different. It has more of a tart flavor compared to sweet Genovese Basil. Thai Basil is from Southeast Asia and it has a spicier aroma and flavor.
Thai Basil is shaped more like mint leaves with a pointed end. It is also sturdier than the sweet basil we are typically used to cooking with.
Once the herbs grow too tall, they start to outgrow the garden. At one point, we had a lot of Thai Basil, so we were trying to figure out how to use it. I wasn’t so sure about what to do since I could only fathom basil being sweet and in Italian dishes. As we thought more about it, we decided this basil could make a great green pesto.
Step by Step
Gather your ingredients.
Place the garlic cloves and Thai Basil in a food processor. Pulse about 15-20 times to chop it into smaller pieces.
Scrape the sides of the food processor and pulse again until everything is finely chopped.
Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper and pulse again.
Sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and pulse until your desired consistency. If it’s too dry, you may need to add some more oil, 1/2 tsp at a time.
Leftovers
Store the Thai Basil Pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The oil may separate as it sits, so give the pesto a good stir before using.
Recipe
Originally Published On: August 21, 2020
Thai Basil Pesto
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup Thai Basil
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Place the garlic cloves and Thai Basil in a food processor
- Pulse about 15-20 times to chop it into smaller pieces
- Scrape the sides of the food processor and pulse again until everything is finely chopped
- Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper and pulse again
- Sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and pulse until your desired consistency
- If it’s too dry, you may need to add some more oil, 1/2 tsp at a time
we love pesto! this is so incredibly easy!
It’s such a simple recipe, but so yummy!
This pesto is flavor packed and so simple to make. Doubled the batch so we have plenty!
That’s a great idea! I love having extra to use later.
Oooh, what a great twist on pesto. I am definitely going to try this with Thai basil next time.
It’s definitely different than typical pesto, but that makes it fun sometimes!
I love this Thai basil twist on pesto!
The Thai basil makes it different but in a good way!
I LOVE PESTO! It’s my favorite way to serve pasta. I’ve never made it at home, so this will be a fun recipe to try!
There are many ways to make it, but we liked the different taste the Thai Basil gave this one.