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💭 Why you’ll love this recipe
Simple, fifteen minute recipe, but super versatile. I could probably just stop here and it’ll speak for itself. But I put this on everything - pasta, tacos, salads, enchiladas, lasagna, you name it . Great way to use up fresh or frozen basil. I love freezing basil when it’s in abundance during the summer, and use it in this condiment later during the year when it’s not in season!Can be made from scratch or with premade pesto. You can also jazz up some pesto you already have and turn it into this delicious recipe!
📋 Ingredients and notes
You’ll need fresh basil leaves, heavy cream, pine nuts, shallot, avocado oil, garlic cloves, all purpose flour, fresh lemon juice and zest, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. If you want to shortcut the process, you can also use storebought pesto, along with heavy cream, flour, shallots, and lemon juice and zest.
📖 How to make basil cream sauce
Prepare the roux and cream sauce
Heat avocado oil on a skillet on medium heat. Add shallots and sauté for until aromatic. Then, add minced garlic, and sauté for about 30 seconds. Add heavy cream (or coconut cream) and some flour to allow it to thicken into a creamy sauce that can coat the back of your spoon.
Process basil with a bit of the cream sauce
While the cream sauce is cooking down, add basil, pine nuts and garlic cloves to a heat-proof blender or food processor, and pulse to combine. You can also use dry basil here to amplify the flavors. . Add remaining avocado oil to emulsify. Then, transfer half a cup of the cream sauce from the skillet to the blender and blend it all up into a smooth consistency. Add this back into the skillet, then add a teaspoon of lemon zest, a teaspoon of salt and red pepper flakes, and half a teaspoon of pepper to finish the sauce. Serve over your favorite pasta!
Your basil cream sauce is ready! Anytime you want a creamy, pesto type flavor, you can use this sauce in your pasta! Love serving this with other fresh spring and summer vegetables (like asparagus and snap peas!)
🍴 Serving and storage suggestions
When stored in an airtight container, the basil cream sauce lasts in the fridge for a couple of days. But if I were to be completely honest, I put this on everything so it rarely ever lasts that long! If you like this recipe, check out my other fun pasta recipes: If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
📖 Recipe
