Make Pesto in a Ninja Chopper

Pesto is an easy to make Italian ingredient that can turn a dish from simple to wonderful with just an added dollop. I have used it to finish a creamy pasta sauce, spread directly on toast, on pasta alone and with chicken and fish. It mixes well in dips and condiments for that added complexity and will round out your dish. Your imagination is the limiting factor on how many ways it can be used in food.

The traditional ingredients are simple.

Basil
Pine Nuts
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lemon Juice
Parmesan
Salt
Pepper

This preparation is slightly different since I cannot eat pine nuts without a strong allergic reaction so I used sunflower seeds. Their flavor is strong and really provides a forward presence. Hazelnut, Almond, Macadamia are all wonderful substitutes and are delicious variations on the traditional. I recommend them all but you can leave that element out for a more herb centered flavor.

Arugula, kale, chard can be used as a substitute for basil. Arugula is affordable and has a nice bitterness that mellows out in pesto. Kale and chard provide that very strong "green" earthy flavor.

I bought this ninja chopper a few years ago and it is great for making small batches of blended items! The only drawback is that when lifting the motor, the blade column has a tendency to lift off the centering spindle in the bottom of the bowl and can break the bowl if not remounted and chopping resumes. That being said, it is pretty affordable to replace.

The Ninja chopper can be found for about $20-30 and is an excellent tool for making pesto and other sauces quickly.