Basil Pesto
Submitted by Bobbi Hill on Apr 24, 2009

Pesto is food for the angels. It's wonderful stirred into many different kinds of soup, most especially tomatoey minestrone soups with beans, just before serving. Add it to marinades or scrambled eggs or use it in omelet fillings.

Servings:
N/A

Complexity:   
Easy

Total Time:
15 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups moderately packed fresh basil leaves
2 to 4 large cloves garlic, peeled (more to taste; for my taste, lots more!)
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese, preferably freshly grated (even better, use 1 Tbsp. Parmesan and 1 Tbsp. Pecorino/Romano)
1/4 cup walnuts or pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup fruity extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:
To clean basil, remove the leaves, swirl them in a bowl of water, and then spin them very dry in a salad spinner.

Buzz together everything but the olive oil and salt and pepper in a food processor until a thick paste is formed. With the machine on, add the oil tablespoon by tablespoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper, using plenty of the latter.

Variation: For use on pasta, add an egg to this paste (or, if the salmonella-in-egg stories have gotten to you, a finely diced hard-cooked egg is also acceptable and good), 1 tsp. of butter, garlic to the max, a lot of freshly ground black pepper, and more Parmesan. I toss the resulting paste with the hot pasta. If you want nuts, sprinkle just a few, toasted, atop the finished pasta or soup for texture rather than pureeing them into the paste.

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Cook's Notes:
Of course, there are herb pestos beyond number. Experimentation and availability are the names of the game here. For example, substitute fresh parsley for all or part of the basil, then add 1 to 3 sprigs of rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and sage (all these in fairly small quantities; sage and rosemary in particular can be strong.) You can use a larger amount of oregano or - surprisingly but very good - fresh mint. These purees have wonderful flavors that sing when combined with garlic, and are excellent stirred into a surprising range of soups. They're also stunning in omelets with feta cheese and sliced tomatoes, or on pasta or crackers.

All pestos should be made 30 minutes before serving, and may be prepared several days in advance if refrigerated with a thin film of olive oil on top. It freezes well, too.