Pesto

Ingredients

Makes 1 3/4 cups

• 1/2 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 cups (2 ounces) lossely packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts evenly on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until golden and fragrant, tossing once, 5 to 8 minutes. Let cool completely.
2. In a food processor, combine nuts, basil, Parmesan and garlic; season generously with salt and pepper. Process until nuts are finely chopped. With machine running, pour oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until smooth. Use immediately, or freeze. To freeze, spoon pesto into an ice-cube tray (2 tablespoons per cube); cover with plastic wrap. Freeze overnight, then transfer cubes to a resealable plastic bag; keep up to 6 months. Defrost pesto at room temperature, about 20 minutes (or at 30-second intervals in the microwave). Mash with a fork before using in recipes.