In our house nothing tastes quite like summer as much as fresh basil pesto. Our local farmer's market supplies us with basil until the July heat gives our backyard basil a chance to grow. 
A 5 ingredient recipe? Sign me up! This time of year,when it is too hot to cook inside, it's nice to have some of this basil pesto on hand to top whatever you are grilling or some cold leftovers. For my favorite pesto you will need 8-10 cloves of peeled garlic, 1/2 c. toasted pine nuts, 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese, olive oil, and 3-4 bunches fresh basil (leaves only). By the way, this recipe makes around 1 1/2 cups of basil pesto.
Add garlic and pine nuts to base of food processor:
Pulse until corse and combined- it will look like this:
Add basil leaves:
Pulse until chopped:
Drizzle olive oil through the top of your food processor until pesto is smooth (around 1/2-3/4 cup of olive oil), add cheese, process until well blended.
Spoon into airtight containers, cover with a layer of olive oil (to prevent discoloration), freeze for 3-6 months or store in the refrigerator for up to a week (but it will more than likely be gone before that week is up!)
We eat it on hot or cold pasta, with shrimp, salmon, or chicken, on lightly toasted baguettes, mixed into a favorite salad dressing, on top of soups, as a sandwich spread, the list is endless. Just make sure to freeze some for the cold winter months when a little taste of summer sunshine is just what you need to brighten your spirits.
Sounds delicious! Thanks for the visual treat!
Posted by: Jackiewood.wordpress.com | July 12, 2012 at 09:50 AM