Pesto

By dtrumble

makes 3/4 cup, enought to sauce 1 pound of pasta

Ingredients

• 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 cups packed fresh basil
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts toasted (3 to 8 minutes over medium heat in dry skillet)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 TB fresh parsley
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Step 1

1. Toast the garlic in peels in an 8 inch skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant and spotty brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer the garlic to a plate and let cool before peeling.

2. Process the peeled garlic, basil, oil, nuts, parmesan, and parsley (if using) in a blender or food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. When tossing the pesto with pasta, add some of the pasta cooking water as needed to loosen the consitency of the pesto.