Buried in Basil….The Best Homemade Pesto Recipe

What do you do when a fantabulous friend plops a huge trash bag of fresh picked basil,

(from her very own stupendous garden)

into your arms???

I mean it, a big ol black trash bag!

Here it is, AFTER, I have processed a good portion of its contents already.

PESTO!

(of course)

I have a delicious pesto recipe that I whip this into.

I stand at this sink, look out the window and watch the sunset as I strip leaf after leaf from their freshly rinsed stalks..

filling the house with its pungent aroma that not even the fresh garlic can override.

I toast the pine nuts to a golden hue and as they cool I peel the garlic, measure the olive oil and prepare the cookie sheet.

 

My food processor makes quick work of blending all the luscious ingredients into a glorious green paste that will make plain ol’ noodles a tasty delight.

It will give bland sautéed veggies a punch of flavor.

And served with cream cheese and crackers it makes a fantastic appetizer.

Would you like my recipe for Pesto??

Okay here we go.

 

Pesto Recipe

Ingredients

4 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup Pine nuts (I toast them in a frying pan, watch them closely they burn easily)

2 cups fresh basil (packed tight, tight, tight)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan (Asiago is great too)

3/4 tsp. of salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

 

I use my food processor to make mine but some people like to use a blender.

 

I double the recipe to speed up the process when I have a lot of basil.

I put the basil and garlic into the processor first, turn it on and pour in the olive oil, then I put in the rest of the ingredients. 

Let it blend until it is a green paste.

I cover a cookie sheet with wax paper and measure out 1/2 cup plops of the pesto onto it, I freeze it then wrap each pesto disc in plastic wrap for wax paper and store in a freezer bag.

I also use little canning jars to put it in if I wish. 

When I want to make some sauce for my pasta or veggies I heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a sauce pan and add the pesto disc, sometimes I also add a bit of water so the sauce will coat the pasta easier. 

 

I love my pesto, it gives me a taste of summer all winter long. 

Enjoy!

 

Pamela