Barefoot Contessa's Pistou

Suzie-Q's Note:

This delicious pistou is actually taken from a Provencal Vegetable Soup recipe by the Barefoot Contessa. The pistou is meant to be added to the soup just before serving. While a wonderful addition for the soup, it was hard to keep my DH from eating all the pistou on crusty Italian bread! Now it is requested on a regular basis and tastes great with bread, crackers, or even raw veggies. You can even toss it with hot pasta. It's a little garlicky tho, so you may want to cut back on the garlic if you don't want it that strong.

• Total Time: 10 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 cup

• 4 large garlic cloves
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 24 large basil leaves
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• ½ cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Place the garlic, tomato paste, basil, and Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor and puree.
2. With the motor running, slowly pour the olive oil down the feed tube to make a paste.
3. Pack into a container, pour a film of olive oil on top, and close the lid.
4. Can also be whirled in a blender.

Reviews

[Dreamer in Ontario]

I made this tonight to go with Provencal Vegetable Soup. I've never had pistou before so didn't know whether I'd like it. Well, the verdict's in. I love it. It's delicious!