Posted by Faithful Foodie
August 16th, 2009 
1 Comment
Pesto – A Summer Favorite
Pesto before adding the olive oil
Pesto is so fresh tasting and versatile that it is almost a sin not to make when fresh basil is so widely available. Even my grocery store carries what they call “live basil plants” which are perfect for this recipe. I made a double batch using it and supplementing with some of what I’ve grown at home. My apologies for not getting a picture if the finished product but I was getting ready for a little dinner party and making creamy basil pasta sauce and just forgot. BTW, pesto can be frozen! A little bit goes a long way. It can be spread on sandwiches, used as a base for pizza, rubbed on meat before grilling, etc.
Ingredients
1 C. packed fresh basil leaves
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 C. toasted pine nuts OR walnuts (I used walnuts because I had them on hand)
6 T. Parmesan cheese (I use the expensive parmigiano reggiano because it does make a difference!)
1/2 t. salt
Chop all of the above in a food processor. It will look like the picture. Then slowly add
1/3-1/2 C. olive oil until a thick paste forms. It should be thick enough to spread on bread without running all over the place.
Makes 3/4 – 1 C. of pesto
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Tags: Basil, Pesto, Sauces, Vegetarian
Posted under: Vegetarian Comment (RSS) | Trackback
[...] This is a very flavorful and easy 3 ingredient recipe!! It’s another one that I found at Kalyn’s Kitchen and did not adapt it at all. It makes a fabulously tasty sauce as it cooks, too! I served it with steamed broccoli and mushroom stuffed tortellini over which I drizzled the pan juices. If you don’t have fresh basil and don’t want to take the time to make your own pesto simply buy a jar of already made. If you have the fresh basil and want to make your own check out this recipe for pesto. [...]