Thai Basil Pesto Recipe with Garlic and Parmesan

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.

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Did 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. 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 with is the regular basil used in traditional pesto. Thai Basil is from Southeast Asia and it has a spicier aroma and flavor perfect to add Thai flavors to your dishes.

Thai Basil is shaped more like mint leaves with a pointed end. It is also sturdier than the sweet basil leaves 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 could only think about sweet basil in Italian dishes or classic Italian pesto. As we thought more about it, we decided this basil could make a great green pesto.

Serving Suggestions & Tips

• Fresh Thai basil leaves are necessary for this easy Thai basil pesto. Dried leaves won’t work as well. You should be able to find these with fresh produce in grocery stores. 
• Replace the olive oil with sesame oil, fish sauce, soy sauce, canola oil, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, or vegetable oil for extra flavor. 
• Mix in pine nuts for extra protein or red pepper flakes to give a little bit of a kick. 
• Serve the Thai pesto with rice noodles, as a salad dressing, on Asian dishes, mix in pasta sauces, as a dipping sauce for bread, or on flatbread to give an Asian twist to your favorite things. 
• Thai basil plants will easily grow with some soil and water in a sunny window if you want to grow your own. 

Thai Basil Pesto Step by Step

Ingredients

• 4 cloves fresh garlic
• 1 cup Thai Basil
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese

Preparation

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.

Thai Basil Pesto Leftovers

Storage: 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.

Reheating: If you want warm pesto, reheat it in a small saucepan over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until warm.

Freezing: If you want to use the pesto sauce in the future, consider freezing it in ice cube trays so you can thaw small amounts the next time you want a bit of this amazing pesto. 

Recipe

Thai Basil Pesto

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.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Course:

Homemade Staple

Cuisine:

American

Keyword:

basil

|

pesto

|

thai basil

Dietary Needs:

Egg-Free

|

Gluten-Free

|

Keto

|

Nut-Free

Servings: 4

4.67 from 6 votes

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 cup Thai Basil
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese

Recommended Equipment

• Food Processor

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

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Nutrition Facts

Thai Basil Pesto

Amount Per Serving (1 tbsp)

Calories 79 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Cholesterol 2mg1%

Sodium 622mg26%

Potassium 30mg1%

Carbohydrates 2g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 336IU7%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 46mg5%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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