Perfect Pesto

Is there anything more flavorful, useful in the kitchen/one's recipes, or delightful than pesto? I think not! Last night, I made a batch of what I like to call the "perfect pesto" recipe.  I've tried several pesto recipes before, and although they are primarily the same, this one is just right in terms of cooking ratios.  Plus, it's one of the most dynamic ingredients you have in your kitchen: you can put it on toast, crackers, pizza, grilled cheese, pasta, anything really and the food always tastes 100% richer without the fatty content of butter, butter, butter.  Why? Well, unlike most American recipes that call for butter, Pesto calls for a combination of olive oil, Parmesan, pine nuts/pistachios, basil, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.  Olive oil, unlike butter, is one of those super foods you're always being encouraged to eat--it's rich in good fats and just makes everything taste better.  Try this pesto recipe for any of the food ideas above (or the recent post "Na'an with Pesto, Asparagus, and Salad") and please hop over to Simply Recipes where many yummy pasta + pesto + other Clearly Delicious recipes can be found.

Perfect Pesto
Like many of my recipes, this one comes from Elise Bauer over at Simply Recipes and can be found here.  However, I must say, before I began using Elise's ratios outlined below, I was using a pretty similar universal pesto recipe--Parmesan, olive oil, pistachios, garlic, basil, and salt and pepper to taste.  However, I'm practically in love with Elise's ratio version as it comes out perfectly every time.  NOTE: You can use pinenuts as I do below, but pistachios are a wonderful substitute as are chopped walnuts.  Sometimes pine nuts can be difficult to find in stores (not to mention rather pricey), and other nuts are more likely to be in your pantry.

* 2 cups basil, chopped
* 1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
* 1/2 cup Olive Oil (I prefer Extra Virgin)
* 1/3 cup Pine Nuts, or Pistachios
* 3 medium garlic cloves minced, or pressed
* salt and pepper to taste

1.) Begin by washing and roughly chopping basil.  Place prepared basil in a mixing bowl.  NOTE: You may wish to remove any nobby/woody stems from the basil so that they don't get mixed in with this recipe.  Although extra nutrients, they add little in flavor and sometimes retain an unwanted texture in the final product.  Remove stems before chopping.
2.) Add chopped pine nuts/pistachios, parmesan, olive oil, and garlic.  Mix to integrate.  Salt and pepper to taste.
3.) Now, add these ingredients either into a blender or a food processor (if you have one).  Mix to puree.
4.) Serve on toasted baguette, pizza, grilled cheese, croque monsieur, pasta etc.  Enjoy!


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