Pesto is a bright, summery mouthful of freshness. It is available in most grocery stores, but there is nothing better than making it yourself. Just take pine nuts, basil, and oil, and blitz it up, and you've got a brilliant sauce for almost anything, from meats to pasta.
Since pine nuts are expensive, this recipe helps cut down on the quantity of pine nuts, but still retaining flavor. Toasting nuts really reveals the deep flavor from these soft, delicate nuts.
Recipe:
1/2 cup basil
2 tbsp pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Remove stems from basil. This will help the sauce stay smooth. Toast pine nuts in a preheated 350ºF oven for 5 minutes.
Place basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor. While running, slowly stream in the olive oil until the sauce has thickened. Add more oil if the pesto is still too leafy.
Add salt, red pepper, and cheese, and blitz in food processor for 10 seconds.
Enjoy!
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