Basil is my ultimate favorite herb but I don't have the green thumb to keep it alive. Buying them every time I need it would be a costly idea in the long run. Good thing, My mom has a Malunggay tree that is a good alternative for basil and is freely available in our small balcony garden. In an instant, it became my favorite for homemade pesto sauce and it has tons of health and medicinal uses especially now that my sister is pregnant.
I first read Malunggay pesto recipe from a local food magazine I religiously buy. I got excited and immediately gathered the ingredients. Well, after slaving myself in the kitchen, I was heartbroken because I failed miserably. I followed the instruction carefully but still, I end up having bitter pasta that night. It was a waste and honestly, I was discouraged. I asked myself what went wrong. Did I miss a step? an ingredient perhaps? That question drives me crazy for a while until I had the so-called "light bulb moment" I remember eating Tinolang manok with malunggay. It doesn't taste bitter. It might work. It did work. I have never looked back since then. It became my go-to pesto sauce recipe. I also learned my lesson. Never trust a recipe to work 100% because there's always a secret step that the cook does but refuses to share.
In this recipe, that is the secret step. boiling the leaves for a few minutes then drain. Combine the malunggay leaves with minced garlic and olive oil*** and process until smooth. Transfer to a clean airtight container. Refrigerate the sauce until ready to use.
*** depends on your taste. For me, I used 1 garlic bulb and then half a cup of olive oil. Salt and pepper are optional. Adjust according to your taste.
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