Well, it's summer time and that means that on my very tiny back porch the easiest thing to grow is basil. Basil is great because it's ridiculously easy and very inexpensive to grow; in fact, my basil only cost me a dollar and this is the second time I have harvested my basil plant this summer. I could have harvested it more frequently, but I didn't because I'm lazy. So, yesterday I decided that my plant had just grown to be so large that I had to trim it back and that is why I decided to make some delicious basil pesto. The great thing about pesto is that it can be make from almost anything, basil, cilantro, arugula, or even spinach. So, if you have anything of these things, I encourage you to make some pesto. You can even freeze any leftover pesto in ice cube trays, so that you can have fresh pesto in the winter. Plus, it's really easy.
Your ingredients (without the basil and cheese I've just noticed)!
Add all of the ingredients except the olive oil and cheese
to your food processor or blender and process.
Then, with the food processor going, slowly add the oil to blend
together and empty into a separate bowl.
Finally, mix the cheese into the pesto and you are done!
Basil Pesto
Ingredients:
2 cups packed basil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
About 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Blend the basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper until finely chopped.
2. With the food processor still going, slowly add enough oil to forma smooth and thick consistency.
3. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the cheese.
4. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
This recipe comes from the lovely Giada De Laurentiis. Pesto does not make a good pasta sauce on it's own, as it is too thick. She recommends mixing enough of the pasta water (after the pasta is cooked in it) with the pesto to get the pesto to coat the pasta without making it so thin that you have soup.
Pesto is also a great sandwich condiment. Enjoy!
I love pesto! I had no idea you could make it with anything other than basil. Thanks for posting this :)
ReplyDelete@Struggling patchworker: thanks for the comment. You can make other types of pesto, which is awesome! You can even add some roasted red pepper to a traditional basil pesto if you'd like.
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