Fresh Basil Pesto

We love fresh basil on our homemade pizza and especially enjoy fresh basil pesto. We grow basil from seeds each year, adding the basil plants in flower beds here and there, and several more in the vegetable garden.

Today I will cut about half of the basil plants back and use the leaves from the cuttings for Basil Pesto. Some pesto will be eaten today, with several more batches made and preserved for another time.

Once the basil plants have grown about 12-inches high, I always cut them to make the plants bush out with side shoots. This year, I’m growing 3 kinds of Basil, including the Italian Large Leaf Basil which does an excellent job of side-branching without cutting it back. And with many of the leaves measuring between 3″-4″, this is a Basil worthy of saving seed!

Fresh Basil Pesto
Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup pine nuts (a substitute is walnuts)
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine the basil leaves with the pine nuts and process lightly (allow machine to 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 minced garlic to the basil-pine nut mixture. Process garlic into mixture (again, allow machine to pulse a few times).

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 to mixture and process again until blended.

Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Makes 1 cup.

Serve with cooked pasta, on baked potatoes, or spread on crackers or toasted baguette slices.