Series: Palm Oil Recipes to Try at Home – February

Published on: February 15, 2022

Here at Palm Done Right our mission is to spread the word that palm oil can be harvested and produced ethically. That is especially important because palm oil is a versatile and delicious ingredient that should be a part of your standard kitchen cabinet. Each month we take a look at an easy recipe made with palm oil, that you can try at home. Be sure to purchase sustainable palm oil to use in your kitchen.

Now for the fun part. This month we would like to share a recipe for pesto! Great on pasta, bread, or even as a salad dressing, pesto is fresh accompaniment for a whole range of meals and dishes.

 

Homemade Red Palm Oil Basil Pesto

If you’ve ever been interested in making your favorite basil pesto at home, but maybe want to add an additional level of richness to the recipe, incorporating red palm oil is just what you need to enhance the flavor of all of your favorite pesto-infused recipes (or on its own!). After all, what’s better than basil pesto with even more depth? Not much!

As is the case with most pesto recipes, this flavor profile is going to pair with just about anything – from pasta to pizza, or with more delicate concoctions like scallops. Pesto is a super versatile dressing or sauce that’s loved by many, and it’s easy to see why – it’s delicious!

You might think that making pesto could be really tough, or that the recipe is easy to mess up, but it’s actually a pretty straightforward recipe that could be a great jumping off point for a lot of beginners who want to get a little more involved with what they make from scratch. The best part? You can incorporate your pesto into your favorite dish either directly after making it, or store or to use later or with a variety of dishes. 

 

Ingredients

• 8 cups of fresh basil leaves, or about 4 bunches
• 1 ½ cups pine nuts
• ¾ cup Parmesan or Parmesan alternative (finely grated)
• 5 garlic cloves (minced or grated)
• ¾ cup Red palm oil
• Salt & pepper (add to taste)

 

Yield: around 1 ½ cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

 

Preparation: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Grate parmesan and chop garlic to desired consistency. 
3. Distribute pine nuts evenly across a baking sheet or sheet pan. Once the oven is heated, toast pine nuts for about 5-7, tossing them around halfway through. Remove from the oven once golden-brown in color and allow to cool. 
4. Add pine nuts, grated Parmesan and garlic into your food processor and pulse for about 1 minute until finely ground.
5. Add in basil leaves and put the top back on before continuing to pulse briefly. 
6. Periodically add in your red palm oil in a slow and steady stream for about 1 minute or until pesto reaches a desired smoothness. 
7. Season with salt & pepper. 
8. Serve warm or put in the refrigerator for safekeeping. If storing, add in an additional ¼ cup of red palm oil on top to prevent oxidation or browning. 
9. Enjoy!

This recipe is very simple and straightforward to make if you have a food processor, but for those who don’t, don’t worry! You can also achieve these results by using a mortar and pestle to grind up your ingredients before putting them in a regular blender. 

Adding red palm oil to your traditional basil pesto recipe will add in providing this mixture with a little extra richness and depth of flavor. Red palm oil also not only enhances your recipes, but is heart healthy and has many health benefits, so you can feel good about what you’re making!

Interested in finding ethically sourced and sustainable red palm oil for use in your kitchen? Learn more about sustainability and how our partners uphold this principle through Palm Done Right. 

 

Tags: natural habitats, Palm Done Right, palm oil recipe, pasta, pesto, pesto recipe, Series: Palm Oil Recipes to Try at Home - February