How to Make Pesto for Pasta or a Spread

Make a wonderful pesto sauce to pour over pasta or use as a spread for sandwiches or pizza with this quick and easy receipe.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 1/2 cups pine nuts
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1 cup fresh basil
• 1 tps garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

1. Peel and chop garlic, set aside. In a small iron skillet, on medium-low heat, lightly toast the pine nuts to bring out their flavor. Do not over brown. Turn heat off and let pine nuts rest in the warm olive oil. Add the chopped garlic cloves to the warm olive oil with the pine nuts let rest about 10 minutes while making the rest of the sauce.

2. Tear the basil leaves from the stems. In a food processor, add the basil leaves, the tender part of the stems, olive oil, garlic salt and pepper. Mix on high until completely pureed. Add the toasted pine nuts and garlic mixture along with any olive oil remaining in pan to the processor and mix again on high until the nuts are almost smooth in the mixture.

3. Pour over cooked pasta in large serving bowl. The smell is mouthwatering and the taste is out of this world!

Tips & Warnings

• You may also add cooked chicken to this dish for a one-dish-meal
• use less olive oil if making a spread for sandwiches.

[122602]

on 9/1/2009 Sounds easy and delicious if you don't have pine nuts can you use something else? I have a hard time finding them.

[ReuseItAll]

on 2/2/2009 This must smell heavenly!! We love pesto! What a great recipe! Thanks!