It’s easy to get down about the garden this time of year. The veggies are sinking, the flowers are wilting. The only thing still hanging in there are the herbs, which makes now the perfect moment for a pesto pickup.
This recipe is meant to be quick and simple. A few pointers:
Use the food processor to chop the garlic and grate the cheese.
You can make the pesto picante by adding half of a finely diced jalapeño pepper, seeded, per batch.
Finally, this pesto freezes well. We suggest you make several batches and divide them into 2- or 4-ounce containers and top each off with a thin layer of olive oil (they make great hand-off gifts). If you are going for a deep freeze, it’s smart to add half the cheese now and half after you defrost. – Ray Rinaldi
Presto Pesto
Ingredients
2 cups basil leaves, firmly packed
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 good-sized garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup grated romano cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Farfalle or penne pasta
Directions
Put the basil, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Don’t over-process; you want the final result to remain a little gritty. With the machine running, pour in the olive oil just until blended. Dump into a bowl and mix in the cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss with cooked penne or farfalle pasta and serve immediately.
