Basil Pesto

The basil and parsley in my garden could win a contest hands down.  They are flourishing.  I needed to find a way to use more of this yummy goodness, so I went in search of pesto recipes.  I combined ideas from here & there and came up with a pretty yummy pesto.

Ingredients...

• 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves removed from the stem
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup walnuts finely chopped
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions...

1  Place walnuts in the food processor and pulse a few times.  Toss in the basil and combine by pulsing again.  Add the garlic and pulse a few times more.

2  Slowly add the olive oil into the food processor and pulse.  Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended.

3  Add salt and pepper to taste.

4  Serve with pasta, on pizza or spread over baguette slices.  Personally, I am a dipper.  If that's the case for you, consider drizzling in a free form design on a plate and serve with cubes of baguette... the perfect dipping size.

Makes a bit more than 1 cup.

NOTES...

• To lighten up this recipe, use 1/2 cup of chicken broth and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in place of the olive oil called for in the recipe.  Still very yummy!
• Consider lightly toasting the walnuts before adding to the food processor.  Simply place chopped walnuts in a nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray.  Allow the pan to heat and gently stir the nuts for about 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Add to recipe as stated.

Enjoy