Perfect Pesto

This pesto recipe is not only easy and beautiful it is a great base for so many dishes. Take advantage of this basil and Italian parsley pesto on sandwiches, appetizers and pasta!

• Ready In: 7 mins
• Serves: 5
• Yields: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 3  cups fresh basil
• 1  cup Italian parsley
• 1⁄2 cup pine nuts, toasted till golden
• 1⁄4 cup  of freshly grated good quality parmesan cheese
• 3  large garlic cloves (or 3 tbsp of minced garlic)
• 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil, add up to 3 more tablespoons if desired

Directions

1. I decided to blanch my basil leaves. Blanching is great to do if you want to freeze some pesto for later, and it also brightens up the color of your pesto. It is easy to blanch - bring a pot of water to boil, and preparing a bowl of icy water. Pick a bunch of basil with kitchen tongs and immerse in the hot water for 2-3 seconds. Then submerge basil in the ice bath. Blanching basil leaves really comes down to the condition of your ingredients. If your basil looks great, is fresh and fragrant, skip this step!
2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process for about 60 seconds.