Scallion, Basil and Sunflower Seed Pesto

Basil is an obvious ingredient for pesto but you can also add other ingredients you might have on hand to tap into your creative side. Pesto has a few essential ingredients: basil, olive oil, lemon, pine nuts, garlic and parmesan cheese. Some of these ingredients you can substitute for another option for example sunflower seeds for pine nuts. In this rendition we use the original ingredients with a twist.

For pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup chopped scallions

1 lemon zested

1/4 cup toasted peanuts

1/8 cup sunflower seeds(seeded)

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor and work until desired consistency.

Provecho