Homemade Basil Pesto

Summertime is perfect for making and eating basil pesto.  It's light, rich and full of flavor, and because basil grows really well in the sunny, steamy summer months in Virginia, you should have plenty to spare to make a couple jars of pesto, leaving enough on your plant to use later.

Basil pesto is commonly used for pasta dishes but Al and I rarely eat pasta, so it's used more for bread dipping in our house.  You can also spread pesto on your morning bagel, put a little on baked fish, or use it in risotto.  If you're allergic to nuts, don't worry because pesto can be made nut-free too!

The ingredients are simple as is making it.  I would say that a food processor or chopper is important as it makes the process much easier.  I for one have never made it without and having made other things by hand, I can tell you it's probably best left if you don't have some way of rapidly chopping/mixing the basil.  However, you don't need a state of the art processor to do this!  Mine is a hand-me-down from a friend and is tiny.

The following ingredients are needed:



Basil (duh!)
Parmesan and/or Romano Cheese, shredded
Garlic, 2-4 cloves depending on your taste
Olive Oil, I use light tasting oil
Pine Nuts, optional
Salt and Pepper, to taste






1.  Begin by "pruning" your basil plant.  I like to cut my basil right above two opposite stems to encourage the plant to bush out.  Pick off all the leaves big and small and gently rinse them in cold water.  I read somewhere that authentic Italian pesto is made using only the small baby leaves of the plant.  I assume the purpose is to get a sweeter flavor, however most won't notice the difference if bigger leaves are used - I don't.

2.  Put your clean basil leaves into the processor.  Don't be afraid to pack them in a bit.  Add about a tablespoon of oil and begin blitzing the leaves.  Every so often take a spatula and clear the sides of the processor to make sure it all gets mixed in.

3.  Add another tablespoon of oil and begin adding Parmesan/Romano one to two spoonfuls at a time.  I really like the Homestyle 4C grated Parmesan/Romano cheese found in jars in the refrigerated cheeses at your local shop.  It has a really strong flavor and is fresh without the cost of buying it in the deli section.

4.  Continue adding cheese until the pesto looks like it has white-ish specks throughout.  This is the time to add nuts if you wish.  You may want to add another tablespoon of oil at this time as well.  The pesto should be a soft consistency but not too runny.  I personally like the flavor that pine nuts give to the pesto.  They are expensive in my opinion, but worth the expense and they go a long way.  Only a handful or so of nuts is needed.

5.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

This batch made one half pint jar and one teeny tiny jar...

For those of you who get freaked out by cooking without specific measurements, here is a good place to start:
2 cups fresh basil, packed
1/3 cup Parmesan/Romano cheese
2-4 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
1-2 handfuls of Pine Nuts, optional
salt and pepper, to taste

Variations:
Some claim to have used Walnuts or Almonds instead of Pine Nuts.  I imagine you can do this, although I have never personally used anything other than Pine Nuts.

I would imagine you could also make pastes or pestos from other herbal plants like rosemary, sage, thyme, and perhaps even parsley, or mix all together for an herbal pesto!

Enjoy!