Pesto sauce

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

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Yields: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1  bunch parsley
• 5  cloves garlic
• 1  bunch fresh basil or 3  tablespoons dried basil
• 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1⁄3 cup  toasted pine nuts
• 1⁄3-1⁄2 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.