Basil and Parmesan Mayonnaise Recipe

By
Joshua Bousel
a photo of Joshua Bousel, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Joshua Bousel
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
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Updated May. 01, 2019
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Joshua Bousel

Unless I'm outdoors grilling, I try to avoid the use of excess heat while cooking during the oppressively hot days of summer. This leads to more sandwiches and salads than usual in my diet, and I'm always looking for ways to make those more delicious and inspiring.

That's where this basil and parmesan mayo comes in. It's quick to put together—basil, parmesan, anchovies, and garlic are pureed in a food processor along with the standard mayo ingredients of egg yolk, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard; then an emulsion is formed by slowly drizzling in a combo of regular and extra-virgin olive oils.

A few minutes of work later, a full-flavored mayo is born, one whose fresh basil mixes with the nutty and salty parmesan to create a creamy, robust mayo that can instantly do a lot of the heavy lifting in a salad dressing or on a sandwich. Spread this on rustic white bread with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, and you have and quick, refreshing summer sandwich that's perfect on a scorching day.

Recipe Details

Basil and Parmesan Mayonnaise Recipe

Active 5 mins
Total 5 mins
Serves 12 to 16 servings
Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg yolk

  • 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves

  • 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

  • 2 anchovy fillets

  • 1 tablespoon water

  • 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1 lemon

  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 medium clove)

  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • 3/4 cup olive oil

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • Kosher salt, to taste

Directions

  1. Place egg yolk, basil, parmesan, anchovies, water, lemon juice, garlic, and mustard in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse until basil is finely chopped and all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

  2. With motor running, slowly drizzle in oils through feed tube. Season with salt to taste. Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Special Equipment

Food processor

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
147 Calories
15g Fat
0g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12 to 16
Amount per serving
Calories 147
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 20%
Saturated Fat 3g 13%
Cholesterol 30mg 10%
Sodium 79mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 1mg 3%
Calcium 14mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 32mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)