I never tire of homemade pesto, especially when I make it with basil from my garden. So I thought I’d post a recipe for it before summer winds down. If I remember correctly, my basil grew through October last year — one of the advantages to living in Houston, I suppose.
The traditional way to make pesto is with a mortar and pestle. To help the pesto retain a pretty green color, add a little fresh spinach and be careful not to over do it in the food processor. I like to make a veggie pesto pasta, roasting or grilling the vegetables, then tossing them with cooked pasta and pesto. It is great on sandwiches, in soups, and on bruschetta. This recipe is based on a recipe that I use from The New Basics Cookbookby Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins.
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried
- ½ c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ¼ cup lightly toasted pine nuts, pecans or walnuts
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Place the garlic, basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano and nuts in the bowl of a food processor. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil and process until pureed, being careful not to over-process. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
-Alyce Eyster
Tasted really good! It was awsome!