Learn Together

Practicing following directions and measuring ingredients helps children learn important math and communication skills.

Materials

  • 4 cups of basil leaves 
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup sunflower seeds
  • Handful of spinach (optional)
  • 2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese
  • Splash of lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper 
  • Food processor, mortar and pestle, or knife
  • Measuring cups
  • Resealable glass or plastic container

Make Together

Pesto is a raw Italian sauce found in a lot of Mediterranean cuisine. Each region of Italy has its own special take on the pesto recipe. Some use sundried tomatoes or flavorful vinegars, others rely on local garden herbs. This version is a classic Genovese recipe from Genoa, the capital city of Liguria, Italy.

  • First, pick your basil leaves off of the basil plant or stems. Take a sniff with your nose! How does it smell to you? Sweet? Spicy? Fresh? Like the grass in the park?
  • Measure out all of your ingredients. Make sure when you fill the measuring cups, the ingredients come right up to the correct measuring line.

The word “pesto” in Italian means “pounded,” and today you will use a food processor, a mortar and pestle, or a knife to do all the pounding for you! 

  • Place basil (and optional spinach), sunflower seeds, olive oil, parmesan, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. 
  • Blend, slice, or crush the ingredients to a purée, making sure to scrape down the sides. How do the ingredients look now that they are all smashed and pounded together? What looks different? 
  • When everything is nice and smooth, pour your pesto into a glass or plastic container. Cover it until you are ready to use it.

You can do so many things with your pesto! 

  • Add a bit of hot water and use it on your favorite type of noodle. 
  • Scoop some on to fresh vegetables like carrots or celery for a snack. 
  • Add milk and cheese to make it a creamy pesto sauce. 
  • Mix it into your salad dressing for a fun twist on mixed greens. 
  • You can even put it on pizza with cheese and vegetables! 

To change the recipe up for next time, try using walnuts or pine nuts instead of sunflower seeds. You could substitute romano cheese for parmesan cheese, or add some arugula for additional healthy greens!

Enjoy additional recipes to use your pesto on at CMOM’s Eat Play Grow website!