Purple Basil Pesto Recipe | How to Avoid Brown Pesto
A unique and vibrant take on a summer classic, purple basil pesto is delicious and versatile! Turn your purple basil into a simple sauce for pasta, sandwiches, and more.
One of my very favorite parts of growing my own food is getting to try unique varieties that can’t be found in the store!
I’ve grown funky heirloom tomatoes, purple green beans, pink carrots, and purple basil!
I wanted to turn my garden-fresh purple basil into something delicious that highlighted its unique color. This purple basil pesto did just that!
There are a few important steps to ensure your pesto is vibrant purple and not a dull brown, but overall this sauce is so easy to make.
You’ll love adding some color to your dinner plate and wowing friends and family with your unique purple basil pesto sauce!
Why You’ll Love It
Great for freezing: Grow lots of purple basil in your herb garden and have purple pesto all year long! Pesto freezes very well and it’s so easy to preserve.
Unique color: Have you ever seen purple pesto before? The purple basil gives this pesto a wonderful, vibrant purple color that is so much fun!
Flavorful: This is one delicious pesto. With just the right amount of raw garlic, creamy toasted pine nuts, and a splash of lemon juice, this pesto is packed with flavor.
Versatile: Pesto goes well on practically anything. You certainly won’t have trouble using it up as it complements pasta, sandwiches, egg dishes, salads, and more!
What goes into this recipe
- Purple basil: What gives this pesto its unique lovely color! Purple basil has a very similar flavor to regular green basil, such as Genovese basil, but with a vibrant dark purple color.
- Olive oil: I recommend opting for a really good quality extra virgin olive oil. If you prefer, you can substitute avocado oil but it won’t have as much flavor.
- Pine nuts: Toasted pine nuts give the pesto a rich, nutty flavor and a creamy texture! I much prefer pine nuts, but you may substitute other nuts such as walnuts or almonds.
- Parmesan cheese: Grated or shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano will add saltiness and flavor to your pesto.
- Garlic: A fresh garlic clove makes this pesto pop!
- Lemon juice: While not a traditional pesto ingredient, a bit of acid from fresh lemon juice adds complexity to the pesto and cuts the richness a bit. Don’t use bottled; fresh is best.
How to Make Purple Basil Pesto
Step 1. Begin by toasting the pine nuts. Add them to a shallow pan over medium heat and toast until they are golden brown and fragrant, stirring often. Be sure to keep a close eye as they can burn quickly. While they toast, remove the basil leaves from their stems.
Step 2. Blanch the basil. This is an important step to keep the basil purple instead of turning brown from oxidation! Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the basil.
Step 3. Allow it to boil for about 30 seconds, then remove and immediately add it to an ice bath. Once the basil has cooled, strain it and squeeze the excess liquid out. Set aside.
Step 4. Add the pine nuts and garlic to a blender or food processor. Blend until finely chopped and forming a paste. You may need to add a dash of olive oil to help them blend.
Step 5. Add the basil and olive oil and pulse. Continue pulsing and adding olive oil until the pesto forms into a smooth sauce. Avoid over-blending it. Add the parmesan, salt, and lemon juice and give it a few more pulses to combine.
Step 6. Enjoy immediately or freeze your pesto for later use!
How to Keep Purple Pesto from Turning Brown
Tip 1: Don’t skip the blanching! This is the most important step to have purple pesto rather than brown pesto. It is an added step, but is so worth it.
Tip 2: Use young, purple basil leaves. You may notice the older leaves turn brownish and the new growth is deep purple. I recommend just using the purple leaves and saving the older pale ones to freeze for soup or tomato sauce.
Tip 3: Don’t blend your pesto too long. This purple basil pesto recipe calls for blending the garlic and pine nuts separately first; this is to avoid blending the basil any longer than necessary. Blending warms up the pesto and can cause the basil to brown.
Uses for Purple Basil Pesto
- Drizzle over Caprese salad
- Spread on sandwiches (it’s especially great in grilled cheese!)
- Toss with pasta; it’s great in a warm pasta bake or cold pesto pasta salad
- Add to a homemade pesto salad dressing
- Drizzle over grilled or roasted veggies
- Spread on pizza instead of red sauce (or in addition to it!)
More Helpful Tips
- The easiest way to freeze your pesto is to put it in ice cube trays and freeze. Once the cubes are frozen solid, pop them out and transfer them to a freezer bag. You can take as many cubes as you need out of the freezer to have the perfect portion for a meal.
- For basil with the nicest flavor, don’t let your basil plants flower. Harvest from them regularly to shape the plant and avoid any blooms. If your basil does flower, don’t worry; it’s still perfectly edible.
- You can substitute some of the oil with water to make a low-oil pesto.
- You can store your pesto for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge. Then, it’s best to freeze it to maintain its freshness.
FAQ
How do I make this nut-free?
It’s easy to make nut-free pesto! You can follow this purple pesto recipe and simply omit the pine nuts or substitute them with something allergy-friendly, such as sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
How do I make this dairy-free?
Pesto can easily be made dairy-free by omitting the cheese! You can also substitute the cheese with dairy-free cheese, nutritional yeast, or extra pine nuts for creaminess. Parmesan cheese is very salty, so I recommend tasting your dairy-free pesto and adding more salt as needed.
Where do I get purple basil?
I haven’t personally found anywhere to purchase purple basil, but it’s always a good idea to ask around at your local farmer’s market! The only place that I’ve found purple basil is in my own backyard garden! I grow purple basil plants from seed with these purple basil seeds from Botanical Interests. If you know some gardeners, perhaps they’d be willing to share. 🙂
More Must-Try Sauces
Purple Basil Pesto
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 4 cups purple basil leaves
- 1 large clove of garlic
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil plus more as needed
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Begin by toasting the pine nuts. Add them to a shallow pan over medium heat and toast until they are golden brown and fragrant, stirring often. Be sure to keep a close eye as they can burn quickly.
- Blanch the basil. This is an important step to keep the basil purple instead of turning brown from oxidation! Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the basil. Allow it to boil for about 30 seconds, then remove and add it to an ice bath. Once the basil has cooled, strain it and squeeze the excess liquid out. Set aside.
- Add the pine nuts and garlic to a blender or food processor. Blend until finely chopped and forming a paste. You may need to add a dash of olive oil to help them blend.
- Add the basil and olive oil and pulse. Continue pulsing and adding olive oil until the pesto forms into a smooth sauce. Avoid over-blending it.
- Add the parmesan, salt, and lemon juice and give it a few more pulses to combine.
- Enjoy immediately or freeze your pesto for later use!
Notes
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- You can store your pesto for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge. Then, it’s best to freeze it to maintain its freshness.
- The easiest way to freeze your pesto is to put it in ice cube trays and freeze. Once the cubes are frozen solid, pop them out and transfer them to a freezer bag. You can take as many cubes as you need out of the freezer to have the perfect portion for a meal.
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- You can substitute some of the oil with water to make a low-oil pesto.
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- See the post above for tips on keeping your purple pesto from turning brown.
