Thai Basil Pesto

Name: Thai Basil Pesto
Yield: About 1 cup
Ingredients: 2 cups fresh Thai basil leaves; 2 Tbsp dry-roasted peanuts; 1 Tbsp sugar; 1 1/2 Tbsp dark sesame oil; 1 Tbsp fish sauce (or anchovy paste); 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar; 1 tsp crushed red pepper; 2 garlic cloves

8 ingredients•3 steps•About 1 cup

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1
Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
2
Press plastic wrap onto surface of pesto.
3
Store in refrigerator up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 2 months.

💡 Cook's Notes

Dark sesame oil is preferred over light for its deeper, more toasty flavor. You can use regular basil if you can't find Thai basil. Lemon basil also works well. Don't be afraid of the fish sauce - the amount is very slight but adds wonderful depth to the flavor. Toss with rice noodles or soba noodles Dollop on fish or chicken Mix into stir-fried vegetables Use in homemade spring rolls Top Asian-flavored soups Serve over chicken and rice Freeze small portions in ice cube trays, then transfer to a zip-top plastic bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. As my friend Carol and I made our annual batch of pesto to freeze for the winter, we discovered this Thai Basil Pesto that we now will be creating every year. As we tasted it we both had only one conclusion: next year we are growing more Thai Basil! It was the best pesto I've ever tasted and I'm savoring my three small bags to use on special occasions this winter. This stuff is like gold!