Pesto Pasta

The last time I tried making pesto was a couple years ago and it was not very appetizing. The recipe called for spinach leaves instead of basil and it was a disaster. I also added raw garlic and it just over powered the taste. I thought that would be the last of my pesto making days. But recently I got brave and decided I would try it again. This time I used basil. I combined the pesto with simple pasta and it was DELICIOUSO! I was a little afraid with the garlic so I was conservative with the portion. I was very pleased with the outcome. It tasted great. My only complaint was that I was a cup short of basil. For next time, I’ll be sure to have more basil on hand and maybe I’ll get a little braver with garlic. This dish would also go great with cooked cubes of chicken.



Pesto

2 cloves of garlic, with peels
¼ cup of pine nuts
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, rinsed thoroughly
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Pinch table salt
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1. Toast pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until golden and fragrant—2 minutes. Be careful as the pine nuts burn easily. Remove from skillet. Add unpeeled garlic to the empty skillet and toast, shaking the pan occasionally—5 minutes. Let cool, then peel. Transfer pine nuts and garlic to the food processor.

2. Place the basil in a bag. Roll over with a rolling pin until all the leaves are bruised. Process pine nuts and garlic until finely chopped. Add all remaining pesto ingredients, except Parmesan, and process until smooth. Transfer mixture to a small bowl, stir in the cheese and pinch of salt.

3. Combine with al dente pasta and serve. Enjoy!

Source: Adapted from Annies Eats