Pesto
Oh! PESTO!!!! The glories of summer in a spoon. You can freeze pesto for a wonderful reminder of summer in January. You can add it to pasta or gnocchi, seafood, chicken, meats… Or just treat yourself to a spoonful. If you freeze, I suggest you leave the cheese out & add it when you unfreeze. At that time, you can add more of any of the other ingredients if you want. You can make this in a food processor or the traditional mortar & pestle. Pesto darkens when exposed to air so to store, cover tightly with plastic wrap making sure the plastic is touching the top of the pesto.
INGREDIENTS
Nutrition- 2
- 1⁄2cup freshly grated romano cheese (about 2 oz, Romano gives a stronger sharper flavor) or 1/2 cup parmesan-reggiano cheese (about 2 oz, Romano gives a stronger sharper flavor)
- 1⁄2
- 1⁄3cup pine nuts
- 3
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
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DIRECTIONS
- In a food processor: Place the basil leaves and pine nuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a several times. Add the garlic and Parmesan or Romano cheese and pulse several times more. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. While the food processor is running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady small stream. Occasionally stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor.
- In a mortar: Place pine nuts, basil, garlic and salt in the mortar and grind with a pestle until paste. Add cheeses and drizzle in olive oil, beating with a wooden spoon.
- Store in jars, topped with a very thin coating of extra virgin olive oil to just cover the pesto. Or, line ice cube trays with oiled plastic wrap & fill with pesto to freeze.
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