Pesto

By naqgal90

There's no need to purchase prepared pesto when it's so easy to make your own. When you see big bunches of fresh basil for sale at the farmer's market this summer, get out your food processor or blender and give this a try. And, for a different twist, substitute fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley for basil – perfect for winter, when fresh herbs are hard to come by.

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 cups fresh basil leaves, firmly packed (about one large bunch, 6 ounces before trimming); or one bunch Italian flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup (4 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 to 8 large, peeled garlic cloves (to taste)
• 1 cup (8 ounces) walnuts or pine nuts (use pine nuts only if you're independently wealthy)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 about 5 tablespoons (about 2 1/8 ounces) olive oil, enough to thin and smooth the pesto to the consistency you prefer

Preparation

Step 1

Combine all of the ingredients except the oil in a food processor or blender, and process until finely chopped. Drizzle in the olive oil with the machine running, adding more for a thinner pesto, less for a thicker version.

Store pesto in the refrigerator, its surface covered with plastic wrap, if you plan to eat it soon. Or freeze it; even when frozen, it'll be soft enough that you can dig out chunks of it to warm up for sauce. Yield: about 20 ounces, a scant 2 1/2 cups.