Pesto

By dtrumble

Basil often darkens in pesto, but you can brighten its color by adding a little parsley. If you have a good blender, use it here instead of a food processor, because it will give the pesto a smoother consistency. Although this recipe makes only about 3/4 cup pesto, its strong herbal flavor gives it enough punch to sauce on 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, walnuts, or almonds, toasted (3 to 8 minutes over medium heat)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (optional)
• salt and pepper

Details

Servings 1

Preparation

Step 1

1. Toast the garlic 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 consistency of the pesto.