It’s summertime and one of my favorite things to do is make fresh pesto from the abundance of basil in my garden.
This year I planted regular sweet basil as well as cinnamon basil. No garden? You can pick up basil at Village Market for 99 cents.
I use pine nuts but you can try walnuts or a combination of the two like Ina. Here is the basic recipe I use:
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Process basil and nuts, add the garlic and process, then let it grind as you slowly drizzle in the EVOO then add the cheese, season.
Yummy green goodness. You can keep it covered in the fridge for several days. I keep mine in a mason jar so it is airtight.
I use it on everything, like a fresh mozzarella and tomato sandwich…
…Or plop some on a grilled bacon, tomato, asparagus pizza! Yum!
A Girl in Her Kitchen 