mealsforfriends

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed, dried and 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 toasted in a dry skillet for a few minutes then cooled
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• Special equipment needed: A food processor

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.

Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

To store I freeze mine in ice cube trays then when they are frozen I pop them out and store in a ziplock bag.  *If you do it this way, leave out the cheese and stir it in after the cubes are thawed.  They will stay good for a month or two this way.    Thaw them by putting in the fridge for a few hours (don’t microwave).

Enjoy your pesto…..It’s a wonderful treat that you can enjoy year round!

Read more about pesto here:

The origins of pesto are somewhat uncertain but some historical letters found in the archives of Genoa (Liguria) mention a dressing called “battuto d’aglio” (literally battered garlic) in the 16th century. Basil has been known to all the Mediterranean people since the age of the Romans, probably originating from the northern coasts of Africa.  This unique dressing that recently has conquered the tables of many dining rooms all over the world is closely related to the image of Liguria and Genoa. Here the unique microclimate and the ideal soil favors the growth of a variety of basil especially balanced in terms of taste and aroma.

In the past it was very common for the Genovese families to keep a small basil plant on the balcony and the same was for the captains on their ships during their long journeys. Even today it is not rare to pick out small basil plants placed on the balconies facing the seaside.

Just for fun, here are some pictures of the area near Genoa on the Ligurian Sea taken from one of our trips there:

Vernazza Italy on the Ligurian Sea

Vernazza Harbor fishing boats

I want to be this Italian cat!