WE love basil – we love pesto – – see my favorite motz basil salad that we just added a little spice to by adding hard peppercorn salami and it is fabulous!
Here is the lasted best pesto recipe that we had last night at Family Dinner on Stebbins. Yum!
Saute the small pieces of chicken breast and make some penne (protein enriched Barilla brand for a great meal!) Serve with fresh baked french ciabatta bread with butter & fresh garlic.
Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe
INGREDIENTS
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Special equipment needed: A food processor (Check Amazon.com’s sale on Cuisinart food processors.)
METHOD
1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Makes 1 cup.
