Homemade Pesto

The other day I got a hankering for some green sauce.  I love my tomato-based and cream sauces, don't get me wrong - but I wanted to feel a little healthy, and so I decided to go homemade on the sauce and do it myself!

To be honest, I was really excited.  This recipe always comes out perfect!  It definitely did not fail me this time!

Pesto by the Food Processor Method

Ingredients

• 2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup EVOO
• 3 Tablespoons of pine nuts  --  pine nuts are expensive, I used part pine nuts part sunflower and it was one of the best pestos I've ever had.  I'm sure a little pistachio would be delightful as well.
• 2 garlic cloves  --  or more if that's how you roll
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup of grated parmigano-reggiano cheese
• 2 Tablespoons of grated romano cheese
• 3 Tablespoons of butter, softened  --  NOT MICROWAVED

Instructions

1. Soak and wash the fresh basil in cold water for a few minute and thoroughly but gently pat it dry
2. In a food processor, process (duh) the garlic until thoroughly minced
3. Add basil leaves and pine nuts to the minced garlic and process until thoroughly mixed
4. Add olive oil and salt to taste, process a few more seconds
1. It's pretty important to taste test the pesto at this point to see if you want it saltier, nuttier, or more liquidy
5. Scrape the garlic, basil, nut, and oil mixture from the processor and into a bowl.
6. Add the two cheeses to the mixture
7. Once the cheese is thoroughly incorporated, add the softened butter and mix until the butter is no longer visible.

 Voila! Here you have a creamy, delicious pesto!  Personally, I recommend "cooking" the pesto in the hot pot with the strained pasta before eating it, or adding a tablespoon or two of the water from the pasta to the pesto when mixing into the ingredients.  I like garlic, but sometimes too much raw garlic can really make you wreak . . . if you know what I mean :)

Now, for those of you with husbands children who don't eat vegetables, the green pesto is the perfect way to incorporate mild flavored green veggies into their diet.  Be careful with spinach as it can taste bitter, add in only a little bit when you make it until they get used to the taste then you can add a little more each time.  The same goes for any other vegetable.  Zucchini is a really good one to mix in there.  If you process it simultaneously with the garlic it'll end up entirely unnoticeable.  Again put in a little at first, and build each time you make the recipe.  It's kind of like building taste immunities.  Then when they actually have the vegetable, they may begin to like it more . . . but not understand why :)

Thanks for stopping by!!

Love,

Mrs. Fosson