Basic Basil Pesto

After a trip to Italy I was inspired to come home and make my own homemade pesto. Making pesto is super easy, but takes at least a week or two of “sitting” to be ready to serve on pasta. The best pesto recipes are simple, with only the basics.

Basic Basil Pesto:

Level of difficulty: Easy
Time to prepare: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
2 loosely packed cups fresh basil, big stems discarded, rinsed, and drained (The fresher the better)
Salt to taste
1/2 to 2 garlic cloves (I LOVE garlic so I use two)
2 Tbs pine nuts (best toasted but not required)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, to start
Freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Directions:
Combine basil, salt, garlic, nuts, and about half of the olive oil in a food processor or blender. (For real authentic pesto, and a ton more time, use a mortar and pestle instead of a food processor.) Process and stop to scrape once in awhile. Gradually add the remainder of the olive oil. You can even put more than 1/2 cup of olive oil depending on how thick you like your pesto. Store in the refrigerator for one to two weeks. Stir in freshly grated Romano or Parmesan right before serving. (Serves about 4-6)


Chicken Pesto Pasta:

Ingredients:
1/2 pound to a full pound of fettuccine
1 cups of cooked, diced chicken
1/4-1/2 cup Basic Basil Pesto (the amount you add to your pasta is up to your taste)

Directions:
Boil the fettuccine in a pot with a touch of salt. Dice up chicken and cook it in a skillet with 2 cloves of garlic. I add the garlic once the chicken is almost fully cooked. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add chicken and a very generous scoop or two of pesto. The amount of pesto you add is completely up to you!

The pasta is ready to serve. Top each serving with some freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese and a few pine nuts. (Serves 2-4)


A Simple Pesto Snack:

Ingredients:
Tortillas
Basic Basil Pesto (see recipe)
Pizza cheese, Italian blend is best
Fresh Romano or Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Spread some pesto on a tortilla, just as you would pizza sauce. Sprinkle pizza cheese on top of the pesto and add a little fresh Romano cheese. The Romano gives it such a great flavor! Bake until the cheese is melted and the edges of the tortillas are barely crisp. Be sure to keep a pretty close eye on these as they can burn pretty easily.


Come by and see my website, Threads. I would love to hear if you try the pesto recipe and how it goes.

Complementary Wines: Chardonnay, Chianti, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir

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