Pesto sauce

canarygirl's Note:

This simple sauce can be made ahead, and even frozen for future use. A tasty way to liven up pasta, chicken or shrimp.

• Total Time: 15 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 2 cups

• 1 bunch parsley
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 bunch fresh basil or 3 tablespoons dried basil
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• 1⁄3; cup toasted pine nuts
• 1⁄3;-½ cup olive oil , to taste
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. While preparing other ingredients, toast pine nuts in a 350ºF oven on a cookie sheet.
2. This only takes a couple of minutes--as soon as you can smell the nuts toasting, remove them from the oven.
3. They should be very lightly browned, but not dark.
4. Meanwhile, remove stems from parsley and basil, and remove hearts from garlic.
5. Put all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor, and process for about 30 seconds, or until everything is very finely chopped.
6. Add olive oil in a steady stream until desired thickness.
7. Thicker pesto is better for sandwiches or spreading, while thinner works well for pasta or marinating chicken or shrimp.
8. The sauce is now ready for use!
9. I like to marinate chicken in 1/2 the pesto for a few hours, reserving the remainder for pasta--just bake 1 1/4 lb marinated chicken strips in a 400º oven for 10 minutes, and toss with cooked mostocholi noodles that have been tossed with the remaining pesto.
10. This is also lovely with shrimp.

Reviews

[ciao]

This is fabulous pesto! Very easy to throw together, and for my first try at it, I loved the ease of prep, and the flavor. Not to mention the wonderful aroma! I did as you suggested cg, and marinated chicken strips for a few hours in half the sauce. Baking them was very fast, and the rest of the pesto was for the pasta. Heavenly! Thanks for a great recipe, cg!

[Darkhunter]

Thnx or posting this quick and delicious pesto sauce, canarygirl. Enjoyed it tremendously on several different dishes. Made for KcK's Forum.