Pesto Dipping Oil
This recipe for pesto dipping oil barely needs an introduction. It’s an aromatic oil I love making in the summer to either eat directly with fresh bread or drizzle over almost anything: salads, fresh cheese, veggies, fish, gnocchi.
Once you make it you will realise why you’ll always want to have a small jar of it in your fridge at all times.
While with a milder flavour than traditional pesto, it adds layers of texture through the fried garlic and pine nuts, as well as puts forward the delicious flavour of the olive oil you’ll be using.
I use fresh basil from the garden but know that this will probably deplete half the plant so you may be better off just buying some for this recipe :)
You could use any hard cheese you like, even an aged gruyere or cheddar, while the pine nuts could be easily replaced by slivered almonds. The quantities in this recipes are really more of a suggestion, feel free to measure with your heart and make this dipping oil your own!
PESTO DIPPING OIL
INGREDIENTS
bunch of green basil, leaves only (about 30g)
50-100ml (1/4-1/2 cup) extra virgin olive oil - use the best you can find!
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
2 tbsp pine nuts
3 tbsp freshly grated grana padano or parmesan
pinch of salt and pepper
Start by infusing the garlic oil. In a small pan over medium heat, place 3 tbsp olive oil. When warm, add pine nuts and garlic slices. KEEP AN EAGLE EYE ON THEM as they will burn very easily. As soon as they start taking on a hint of colour remove from the heat, they will crisp up and finish cooking off the stove.
Let them cool.
Chop the basil leaves as finely as you can.
In a bowl add the basil leaves, grated cheese, salt, pepper; go easy on the salt, the cheese will already be salty, taste! Mix well.
Add the infused oil and combine until you get a beautiful fragrant paste.
Start adding more of the remaining oil little by little, until it reaches the desired consistency.
Serve with fresh bread as a dip or drizzle it over your favourite salad (or cheese, or meat, or…)
This oil will keep in the fridge for up to a week in a sealed container. Before using take it out of the fridge so that it can come back to a liquid consistency.
Enjoy!