Fresh Pesto-Cooking from the Market

Lately there has been lots of basil at the Farmer's Market.  It's perfect for summer pasta dishes.  Fresh pesto simply tastes like summer!

With the weather heating up, it seemed like the perfect time to make a big batch of the tasty green sauce.  We stirred some into pasta for dinner last night and put the rest in our freezer for future use.  My mouth is watering thinking of eating pesto all year round...on pizzas, more pasta, layered with cream cheese and sun-dried tomatoes for a mid-winter cracker spread...YUM!

Here's my recipe.  I think it came from a long ago issue of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.  Adjust the ingredients to your personal tastes--it's quite user friendly.

Fresh Pesto

(One recipe makes enough for 3/4 pounds of pasta.)

• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Whirl all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

*For a recipe variation, I swap out the basil for arugula and the pine nuts for walnuts.  While not as kid friendly, I like this more grown-up version just as well.

It's just as easy to make one batch as it is to make seven, so that's what I did.  I put the extra batches in freezer-safe containers.  When we're ready for more pesto, they can easily be thawed in the fridge.

And now I'm headed off to enjoy last night's left overs.  YUM!

--Karyn