Recipe of the Week - Basil Pesto

[cincyvickie]

(From the Misc  Collection at emealsforyou.com)

Basil Pesto

The last couple of years my basil plants have produced very little basil; this year a total reversal, tons of basil, basil as high as a corn stalk.  The problem is that we have been nomads this summer and haven’t been around enough to enjoy the harvest.  The temps in the Ohio Valley are plummeting, basil doesn’t survive sub-freezing weather.  I seized the opportunity to go out and pick some, still lots on the plants though.

Pesto is one of the sauces that lends itself to be whatever you want it to be.  Add more garlic, add more cheese, add more olive oil and use it as a pasta sauce as shown above.  Leave it thicker and pile it on toast points.  Spread on fish or chicken to move that ordinary meal to special.  Don’t like the cost of pine nuts; substitute walnuts.  Try changing ingredients; I can’t get out of NJ without loading my mother-in-laws fridge with sun-dried tomato pesto.

Basil Pesto

Recipe Summary

Complexity:	Easy
Serves:	6
Category:	Misc
Meal:	other (General)

0.5	cup	basil leaves, whole
0.75	cup	pine nuts, toasted
0.75	cup	cheese, Romano, grated
1.5	cloves	garlic, chopped
0.75	cup	oil, olive

Toast pine nuts lightly. Place basil, pine nuts, garlic and Romano in food processor, process until a paste forms, add oil slowly until you reach the consistency you desire. Should be spreadable, like peanut butter.

Note: Great on sandwiches, may be used on pasta. I spread it on toasted French bread, sprinkle with Romano and basil and broiler slightly.

Try the Sun-dried Tomato Pesto and the Spinach Pesto at emealsforyou.com.

Shown here on pasta.