basil - pesto

Yesterday I noticed we hadn't picked any basil for a long time and we had an abundance. So I decided to make some pesto. This is a simple recipe I picked up years ago.

Pesto:

2 cups fresh basil leaves packed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons of slightly roasted pine nuts

3 cloves of minced garlic

In a food processor with with motor running i put in the garlic, then the pine nuts.

I then add about half the basil and some of the cheese and give it a few pulses.

Then I add the rest of the cheese and basil and a few more pulses.

Now with motor running slowly add the olive oil until the mixture forms a consistency you prefer.

Now you should taste. I felt mine was too garlicky so I added a couple of squeezes of lemon, a slight pinch of sugar and some ( about 8 ) grape tomatoes. Tasted perfecto!

Remember a recipe is a guide. Don't be afraid to make changes or adjust seasonings and or ingredients to meet your own tastes.

Now what to serve the pesto with: While some Barilla cheese tortellini boiled, I put a little olive oil in a pan, added some sliced yellow peppers, a few sliced mushrooms and about 10 of those grape tomatoes and a few grinds of black pepper. As the veggies sauteed I added a little more olive oil (remember mushrooms are like a sponge). Now because I was cooking and eating at home I decided to splurge a little. So I threw in about eight large shrimp to the pan and a little butter to smooth out the sauce. By this time the pasta was ready and I added it to the shrimp and vegetables and then some of the pesto.

The dish was superb. Again remember you could use whatever vegetables you might have on hand. This entire meal could be made in less than twenty minutes.