Basil pesto

Nothing says summer to me more than fresh basil from the garden. I'm fortunate that the deer don't seem to bother it in my garden, so I have lots to use. I add fresh basil to my salads and omelets and to make an Italian Caprese salad, but my favorite use is for pesto. I manage to put some in the freezer to use throughout the winter. It's a terrific addition to soups. This recipe is an adaptation to a recipe from Sheila Lukins.

  
    Recipe makes
    Active time
    Total time
  
    1 1/2 cups
    15m
    15m

  
    Special equipment needed
  
    Food processor

  
    Ingredients
  
    2 cups basil leaves, washed and thoroughly dried
  
    4 cloves of garlic, peeled
  
    1 cup walnuts, toasted
  
    3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  
    1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  
    salt, pepper

  
    Instructions
  
    • Turn the food processor on. Add the garlic cloves through the top feeding tube. Process until the garlic is in small pieces. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  
    • Add the walnuts and use the pulse function to chop the walnuts. Be careful not to overprocess and make walnut butter! Scrape the sides of the bowl again, if necessary.
  
    • Add the basil leaves and process until the leaves are completely ground. 
  
    • Leave the motor running and add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until incorporated. See picture below.
  
    • Add the cheese and process until just combined.  See picture below. Season to taste.

  
    Variations
  
    • Use Romano and Parmesan cheese.
  
    • Use pine nuts instead of walnuts.

  
    Storage
  
    • Can be made a day ahead. Cover it by putting pastic wrap directly on top of the pesto.
  
    • Can be made ahead and frozen in either small resealable bags or in ice cube trays. Once the cubes are frozen, put them in a resealable bag. This way you will be able to add a cube to a soup or  thaw it in small amounts.

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