Classic Pesto

Sunday morning has become my favorite time of the week during the summer months. I enjoy waking up early (granted, 7:30 is early for a Sunday), opening the windows and door to the patio and curling up on the sofa with a book in one hand, a steaming mug of Earl Gray in the other. The usual sounds of morning commuters zipping by are replaced with the gentle rustling of leaves from the tree past our patio and the quiet pitter-patter of joggers cutting through the parking lot behind us. This is my ideal time for leisurely baking and cooking. I have a number of hours before work that are just yearning for a slow simmering tomato sauce, several loaves of zucchini bread or my all-time favorite, batches of fresh pesto.


Nothing says summer quite like a bowl of pasta and sautéed veggies tossed with creamy pesto. The great thing about making pesto is that it’s incredibly simple to freeze and use year-round. I haven’t bought a jar of pesto from the grocery store in years thanks to stocking up on the homemade stuff each summer. I enjoy growing my own basil at home. You can just taste the sunshine in those bright green leaves. Somehow this bright, summery taste just doesn’t come through the store-bought jars of pesto. All you need is a blender or food processor and you can have a batch of fresh pesto in ten minutes.


Basil Pesto
From “Everyday Italian” by Giada de Laurentiis
2 cups (packed!) fresh basil leaves
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
1 garlic clove
½ teaspoon salt (I used a little less), plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
About 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

My note: To toast the pine nuts, add to a skillet over medium-low heat. Shake the pan every minute, to make sure the nuts don’t burn. Once you start to smell their nutty aroma, usually after three or four minutes, transfer to a different dish to cool.


In a blender (or food processor), pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped.



With the blender still running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency.


Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in the cheese. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper to taste.


Cover with a little drizzle of olive oil and refrigerate for a week or place in the freezer to use at a later date.

Enjoy!



While I was picking my basil leaves, this little guy was happily running around hunting for food. Once he saw me he made a dash for it!