Homemade Basil Pesto

When I was little, I didn't like tomato sauce on my pasta like most of the other kids did. Strangely enough, pesto was one of my favourite foods. This seems weird, because most kids would turn their noses up if they were served spaghetti with GREEN sauce. But not me. I loooved it!

Even though I've eaten pesto on a regular basis for my whole life, we never made it from scratch. We always got the same brand, which was delicious, but they recently stopped selling it. We tried other brands, but none of them compare to the deliciousness that came in that little glass jar. Sigh.

Luckily, I recently discovered how easy it is to make!

Look, I even used basil from my garden!

Well, supplemented by some from the store...

This recipe is more of a traditional pesto, made with basil, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. That's the only way I've ever known it, and I was surprised when I saw so many recipes that used almonds or walnuts, and some even left out the basil all together! Also, I recommend using a food processor over a blender. I've done both, but the food processor definitely does the job better (and faster!).

Homemade Basil Pesto

• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 3-4 Tbsp. olive oil (depending on how thick you like it)
• 1 cup chopped, fresh basil leaves
• 1-3 cloves of garlic, depending on size and personal preference

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then toast pine nuts until fragrant, about 8 minutes, stirring a few times.

While nuts are toasting, wash and chop basil. 

Add basil, pine nuts, cheese, garlic and a few tablespoons of oil to food processor.

Whirl until blended. If it's not coming together, add a few more tablespoons of olive oil through the spout, one at a time, until pesto reaches desired consistency. 

This was delicious on cheese tortellini, but has anyone ever had pesto pizza?

Now THAT is tasty!