Basil Pesto

[kirra]

Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves, large stems removed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp pine nuts (walnuts are a less expensive substitute)
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
Salt to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp freshly grated Romano cheese
3 tbsp butter, softened to room temperature (optional)

Preparation:

Wash the basil and pat dry. Place the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, chopped garlic and salt in the food processor bowl and process to a uniform creamy consistency. Place mixture in a bowl and add in the grated cheeses, stirring by hand. Once well blended, add the butter (if using) and mix thoroughly.

This is enough pesto to flavor 1½ pounds of pasta. When spooning the pesto over pasta, dilute it slightly with a tablespoon of water leftover from the pasta-cooking water. Pesto will keep in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks. To freeze pesto, make the sauce up to the cheese step, but don’t add the cheese. Freeze pesto in small labeled containers. Add the cheese when you thaw the pesto and mix it with the cooked pasta. Sometimes I do freeze pesto with the cheese in it for convenience. But adding the cheese later has the best flavor and texture.

Parsley pesto can be made by substituting half or all the basil in the recipe above. Try adding 2 to 4 scallions as well. Serves 5.