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Better than Store-Bought, 10 Minute Homemade Basil Pesto

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There only is one green sauce that actually everyone likes – pesto. Contrary to all other green sauces, pesto somehow manages to convince, despite its very healthy looking color. And if you buy it at the store, it’s so easy, right? It is. But let me tell you, once you have made your homemade one, you‘ll never go back to store bought. This salty goodness just won‘t compete with the one from the store. Plus, it really just takes 10 minutes to make.

What’s special about this dish? 

To be honest, this is not too fancy or has a special twist. This is one of the few classic recipes. Because really, pesto is so heavenly as is. Actually making pesto yourself already is kinda really special. 

Traditional pesto

What even is pesto? What is it made of? And what differentiates traditional pesto from most store bought ones. So, pesto is a green sauce from Liguria, Italy. It is eaten with pasta, burrata, as a topping or a dip. It is made of fresh basil, grated parmesan, garlic, pine nuts, salt and olive oil. For a really good pesto, it is essential to use high quality ingredients, especially a good olive oil and some good parmesan cheese. And that already is the difference to most store bought ones. In order to make them cheaper, the quality is compromised. Often, there is water added to it or olive oil is partially substituted with some cheeper oil. This way it does not taste as intense and as good.

Also, when it comes to making pesto, it is really important which ingredients you blend, any which you stir in by hand. The basil, garlic and pine nuts need to be blended. The parmesan needs to be grated and then stirred in by hand along with the olive oil. You must not blend the parmesan and olive oil!!!!!! This needs to be stirred in by hand.

The only store bought pesto I buy is either the one from our local delicatessen store or the one from pastafani. They both have the right texture and high quality and taste like real, authentic pesto. So I can highly recommend this.

Is this dish healthy? 

Definitely healthy-ish. It is packed with lots and lots of healthy fats and vitamins. The basil accounts for a bunch of fibre and different vitamins. The nuts on the other hand are a great source of protein and also unsaturated fats. The olive oil, if high quality, also is an excellent source of omega-3 and other unsaturated fats. The parmesan cheese is packed with a bunch of protein but also saturated fat. So overall, a quite balanced meal. 

How to make this dish?

As the title says, this really takes 10 minutes only. All we need to do is blend the basil with the garlic cloves, roasted pine nuts and a pinch of salt. This should be blended really finely and make a thick paste. Then we need to grate the parmesan cheese and stir in a little parmesan cheese and a little oil a bit at a time until we get a creamy consistency. And yup, that already is it.

When and how to best have it and meal prep friendly? 

Pesto definitely is one of the most meal-prep friendly dishes. When you make it and have something left, you can just store it in a jar and cover it with oil. It‘ll last up to 2 weeks, if covered completely with oil, because then it is not in contact with fresh air. 

In terms of what to vest have it with, I‘d definitely say pasta!! Either Trofie (that‘s what you would typically get with pesto in Italy) or definitely on top of burrata or mozzarella, on top of salads, or, one of the best combos, which I have recently discovered is Pesto and Hummus. A MUST try! On bread, rice crackers or whatever – it is life changing.

Homemade Pesto is a must try and a real game changer. It is SO easy and honestly one of the most delicious things you could make. I know I have told you a bunch of times here, but there is no way you dl not try this! 

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Better than Store-Bought, 10 Minute Homemade Basil Pesto

There only is one green sauce that actually everyone likes – pesto.  It is SO easy and honestly one of the most delicious things you could make. Ready in 10 minutes (and gone in 5 probs)

Course basics, dinner, lunch
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 10 Minuten
Servings 4 servings

What you will need

  • 50 g basil
  • 30 g pine nuts
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 100 g parmesan cheese
  • 125 ml olive oil

How to

  1. Roast the pine nuts in a nonstick pan on high heat until golden. Add to a food processor along with the basil, the garlic and some salt. Blend until having reached a creamy paste.

  2. Finely grate the parmesan cheese.

  3. Add the basil mix to a bowl and about 2 tbsp at a time, add in the cheese and the olive oil. Then repeat until having nothing left.

  4. Serve with pasta, bread, salads, or just enjoy as is!

I am wishing you a whole bunch of fun and deliciousness when cooking! 
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière 

Creamy Basil Feta Pasta

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Summer to me is lots of fresh herbs. Mint, basil, rosemary, parsley, all of the good things. No matter where. Whether it is in salads, as a garnish, on toast, in drinks, in pesto or in pasta. It is just a sign and part of summer. So fresh, so tasty. But, as good as pesto is, here we are gonna switch things up a little bit and make an extremely easy, 10 minute pasta dish! No, that’s not a typo, it actually only takes 10 minutes (maybe 15 max)!

What does summer mean to you? Laying at the beach, toasting barbecues and summer parties, going for a swim? To me it is lots of sun, good times and fresh food! Definitely! That is why I love herbs so much! I love how they add so much freshness to every single dish you add it in. Also they just add such a nice flavour!

Are herbs healthy?

Definitely! It honestly is very surprising to some! In most kitchens you will find some sort of herbs. Some prefer them in a fresh form to add them to dishes or as a garnish and some have them in their dried form. I personally prefer the dried form for seasoning because they are more intense in flavour but I always have fresh herbs on hand for garnish. Also they make pretty much everything look nice.

Back to the point. Herbs actually are super healthy. Their are extremely high in vitamins, minerals but also fibre. Some even have a decent amount of protein. The great thing about them is that it is so easy to add them to anything to give all of your meals an extra nutrient boost.

How to add more herbs to your diet

This part I believe is really easy. One of my favourite ways is to add it into salads. Like adding a little bit of mint and basil to your salad not only makes a great flavour but also adds a bunch of vitamins. Other ways are to stir is into sauces like into tomato sauce, into stir fries, here cilantro would work amazing, when marinating something or just make pesto out of it. All of these ways are super easy.

Is this sauce like pesto?

No, but also yes. So it is kind of similar but also different. What is pretty much the same is the strong basil flavour. But we are not using parmesan cheese and pine nuts and loads of olive oil. So basil as a base is same. Instead of parmesan cheese we are using feta. If you do not know, feta is a cheese made out of sheep’s milk. It originated in Greece and still is very popular these. It is a firm cheese but has a rather „light“ and fresh taste. So as said, it is a firm cheese but when you blend it up it becomes very creamy.

We still, also use a little bit of olive oil to add some flavour but not as much as in pesto. No nuts in here, which pesto does have. What is „new“ here, which is not usual in pesto is that we add some greek yoghurt. The greek yoghurt adds some creaminess and makes it really good.

How to make the sauce & substitutes

Well, that’s the easiest thing ever. Blend it all up, that’s it. First only the basil, which allows it to become very fine and smooth. Then we add the feta and lastly, some salt, olive oil and greek yoghurt. Also reserve some water from the boiling pasta and add it again when combining the pasta with the sauce. This really is key to making a super creamy sauce and to allow it to combine it well.

If you do not do feta, you can use cream cheese instead. I would recommend using one from goat though, because I believe that the flavour just goes in better harmony with the basil but regular one works too. If you do not have greek yoghurt on hand, you can use some regular yoghurt or half the amount and substitute it for cream cheese.

When to have it & meal prep

I LOVE this as a quick and easy lunch or dinner. It is perfect for a large number of people because it is super easy to make and very versatile. If you want, you can also add some grilled chicken or prawns on top, which also is really tasty.

I would not recommend it for meal prep just because I personally do not like reheated pasta and it only takes very little time anyway. If you do not mind reheated pasta, you can totally meal prep it. Or you just meal prep the sauce, this works really well.

I hope that you like this recipe and enjoy it all throughout summer !

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Creamy Basil Feta Pasta

A great summer pasta. Not like your pesto but much better. And easier. 10 minutes, 6 ingredients. Super good.

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Prep Time 5 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 15 Minuten
Servings 4 servings
Calories 732 kcal

What you will need

  • 500 g spaghetti
  • 300 g feta
  • 100 g basil about 3-4 large handful
  • 100 g greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • some dried tomatoes

How to

  1. Bring a large pot with salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Before draining the pasta reserve one cup (about 200ml) of the pasta water.

  2. While the pasta is cooking add the basil to a food processor, until it is very finely chopped. Then add the feta and blend again until a creamy consitency is reached. Last add the olive oil, greek yoghurt and a pinch of salt. Add at least half of the reserved pasta water and blend again.

  3. After draining the pasta add it back to the pot along with the sauce. If it still is too thick and does not combine well, add some more pasta water.

  4. Divide onto the plates and garnish with extra feta, dried tomatoes and fresh basil.

    Enjoy!

Happy cooking,
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

3 Tomato Gnocchi with Garlicky Prawns

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If you have ever been to Italy you know how a sauce with fresh tomatoes tastes. Creamy, sweet, tangy, fresh, natural, just delicious!! My family and I, we go to Italy every year, at least twice and eating some kind of pasta, gnocchi or risotto with fresh tomatoes is a staple there! I can’t spend time in Italy without eating the delicious Italian tomatoes.

Well, now I am back from holidays, back from Italy and only dreaming about those incredibly delicious tomatoes (not sure if you already know, but I am a tomato addict!! Favourite food of all time), and if I buy a tomato sauce at the store it is far from what you´d get in Italy. I’m not saying that they are not tasty but just not comparable with what you would get in an Italian restaurant. But as I was really craving a tomatoey dish with all the flavor I decided to start experimenting and finally created this super delicious 3-tomato gnocchi.

I was able to find some local, big, austrian tomatoes in different colors and shapes, at the farmers market, which I really liked (the more local the better!!), and all were organic from farmers around and did not contain any chemicals or anything else they didn’t need. I honestly loved the variety of color and really liked the different shapes, which made every single tomato unique. I definitely prefer them having different shapes and sizes without any artificial stuff in them than having 10 tomatoes with exactly the same color, the same shape, and the same taste, which 1) is boring & 2) not natural! I also found some small honey tomatoes which are my favourite! (Best snack ever!) They are sweet, have a great texture and just every bite is treat. The third kind of tomato I used was tomato paste, to intensify the flavor, and I would definitely not leave out when making this because it does make a difference!!! 

I also used fresh basil from our garden, white wine from the vineyard next to our house, and some sour cream from Austrian farmers (if you want to make a vegan version of this sauce, either leave out the sour cream at all or substitute it with coconut cream or another vegan cream cheese substitute)! The prawns that I used were from Italy and I bought them frozen so that they are really fresh. For this dish I used parted tiger prawns because I do not like to have small prawns where there only is one bite. I’d recommend peeling them before grilling or frying them since I believe that it is easier do this before than after cooking but if you prefer peeling it after to give it a look then that works too! 

When it comes to gnocchi I would always recommend using fresh ones. I personally do not like the packaged ones a lot since most of them only tend to become more and more the longer you chew them. You can either make them yourself or if you have a gourmet food store or an Italian store close to where you live, Idaho recommend buying fresh gnocchis there because the quality of fresh ones is just better. I used frozen ones I made over a year ago, which was not the best decision because they were in the freezer for pretty long, so they turned very mushy as soon as I cooked them. It didn’t make a difference in taste but in the looks. So if you can, use as fresh ones as you can get. Of course, if you do not like gnocchi, the sauce also tastes really really good with some pasta or even with rice!

I always make this dish when I start to miss Italy, and it is especially delicious in summer when the tomatoes are fresh, seasonal, and so flavorful. It also is a really healthy and balanced dish. You get some good carbs and vitamins out of the potatoes in the gnocchi, a lot of vitamins and antioxidants from the tomatoes, healthy fats from the olive oil, and some protein from the prawns. It is such a delicious and simple dish that will please the entire family and satisfy all your needs. I hope that you will like this dish and if you have any questions just leave them in the comments, I will answer you! If you are recreating it, just leave the hashtag #unepetitcuisiniere and I will see them!

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3 Tomato Gnocchi with Garlicky Prawns

A delicious & quick weeknight dinner

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 13 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 23 Minuten
Servings 2
Calories 584 kcal

What you will need

Thats what you will need:

  • 500 g Tomatoes lrge, and best different colours
  • 200 g Cherry tomatoes
  • 20 ml Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1 Chili
  • 1 tbsp Sour Cream
  • 125 ml White Wine
  • 3 Garlic Cloves
  • 300 g Tiger Prawns
  • 300 g Gnocchi
  • 1 handful Basil

How to

Thats how it works:

  1. Cut the large tomatoes into 2cm cubes. Half the cherry tomatoes. Peel and finely slice one garlic clove and chili. In a big pan heat up half of the olive oil. In a smaller pot start bringing some water to a boil. When hot add the tomato paste to the oil and stir well until everything is well combined. Then add garlic and chili into the Oil and saute until it starts to turn golden-brown. Add the tomatoes into the pan and saute them for about 3 minutes. Pour the white wine over the tomatoes and add the sour cream and let it all simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Generously salt and a little pepper. If it gets too thick, add some more wine, if it is too thin add some more sour cream or let it simmer for a little longer.

  2. Meanwhile peal the prawns, slice the other 2 garlic cloves, and add the remaining olive oil into a pan and heat it up. Cook the Gnocchi in the boiling water for about 3 minutes (depending on the Gnocchi you have), until soft. Fry the prawns with the garlick in the oil for about 2 minztes on each side.

    Cut the basil into thin strips and add into the sauce. Keep a few leaves for the garnish.

  3. Drain the Gnocchi and add to the tomato sauce. Divide it onto 2 plates, add the prawns and garnish with basil.

    Serve & enjoy!

Lemon Creme with Basil Strawberries

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Who else really enjoys this hot weather? Me, definitely! Summer barbecues, picnics, meeting friends, going to the pools and beaches, just enjoying the sun, … Summer is just the definition of happiness!

I love going to local markets and shopping seasonal and regional ingredients. So many fresh fruits and vegetables just motivate one to eat healthy. The variety of colours and smells simply give you a good feeling. I did not pass by a single market since June where I haven’t seen strawberries being sold.

In the past years I’ve always wanted to cook with strawberries but somehow I never really tried out a lot of dishes with them, so this summer I promised myself that I am going to experiment with them a lot. When ripe they just have such a sweet and juicy flavour that they pair wonderful with both sweet and savoury.

I really like the combination of lemons and strawberries since the lemons underline the sweetness of the strawberries and give them a refreshing twist. This lemon creme honestly is the best summer dessert. I mean, to be honest who likes to heat up the oven or stove when it already is 40 degrees outside? I don’t believe anyone. Neither is it really nice to spend hours and hours in the kitchen when the sun is shining outside and you could go to the beach or pool and enjoy the weather, am I right?

The best thing about this recipe is that the time you spend in the kitchen preparing it is minimal and it is super easy to prepare. You simply have to throw the ingredients into a mixing bowl and whip up the perfect dessert. If you have guest over at your house, just prepare this in the morning and when they have arrived, just take it out of the fridge and enjoy.

Also it is really easy to prepare in big batches for a lot of people. When I first made this recipe, I made it for our garden party for 60 people! And guess what?! It was really uncomplicated and way less work than baking 60 muffins. I just prepared a multiple of my recipe and filled it into small glasses. Everyone enjoyed it and they were sooo fast! Nothing was left at the end.

When I made it I used local strawberries from Austria, and lemons from Italy. In this recipe I did not add a lot of sugar because I believe the mascarpone and curd cheese already have a slight sweetness themselves. I did not want the added sugar to overpower the lemon and strawberry flavour but if you prefer it to be sweeter, simply go ahead and add more sugar.

Now, don’t let me stop you for longer by reading this post. I hope you enjoy this recipe and if you recreate it be sure to tag me on instagram with @happyfoodkitchen!

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Lemon Creme with Basil Strawberries

Such a refreshing and delicious summer dessert. This creme is such a simple, light, and hugely flavorful summer treat. It is so simple to prepare and a great crowd pleaser. I hope you enjoy it – it is my summer go-to.

Course Dessert
Prep Time 22 Minuten
Cook Time 3 Minuten
Total Time 4 Stunden 25 Minuten
Servings 4 people
Calories 470 kcal

What you will need

Lemon Creme

  • 280 g mascarpone cheese
  • 280 g quark if not available can substitue for cream cheese
  • 50 g powdered sugar
  • 1 lemon zest & juice
  • 140 g yoghurt
  • 2.5 sheets gelatine
  • 1 tbsp water

Basil Strawberries

  • 150 g Strawberries
  • 1 handful basil
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp powdered sugar

Garnish

  • 4 leaves basil

How to

Lemon Creme

  1. Place the mascarpone, curd cheese and sugar into a mixing bowl and whip it up for about 3 minutes. Then add the juice and zest from 1 lemon and continue whisking for 2 to 3 more mintues. Set it aside and place the gelatine along with 1 tablespoon of water into a small pan. Stirring constantly dissolve the gelatine. When dissolved add a tablespoon of yoghurt and mix it into it. Pour the gelatine mixture back into the remaining yoghurt and whisk in until equally distributed. Fold the yoghurt mixture into the whipped cheese and pour it equally into 6 jars or bowls. Place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours to overnight to let the gelatine sit.

Basil Strawberries

  1. Half an hour before serving cut the strawberries into small pieces and add them into a bowl. Finely slice the basil and also put it into it. In a seperate bowl add the lemon juice, zest, and the powdered sugar. Pour it over the strawberries and let marinate for half an hour in the fridge.

Before serving

  1. add a quater fo the strawberries to each jar and garnish with a basil leaf. – Enjoy!

Notes

This is one of my favourite summer recipes since you do not have to heat up the oven, cook really, or spend a lot of time in the kitchen but still create such a delicious dessert. I’ve made it several times already this summer, also for our summer garden party. It is so simple to prepare and a really great crowd pleaser. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask me! And if you recreate the recipe be sure to tag me on instagram! I hope you enjoy it and I wish you all a beautiful summer!
Xx Katie