Pesto Sauce

A few weeks ago, my basil plant was on its way to the light at the end of the tunnel. I knew it didn't have long to live so I decided to pluck off all of its leaves and make a pesto sauce. If you have a food processor, it is a very simple thing to make. It also freezes beautifully. Just put your pesto into a freezer-safe lidded container and drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the top of the sauce to seal it before you pop it into the freezer. 

Yesterday, I let the frozen pesto thaw out. Today I made a yummy spaghetti with pesto sauce for lunch. It still tasted fresh and vibrant. This pesto would also be a great sauce for a pizza, spread on a sandwich or spoon on top of grilled chicken or fish.

Pesto Sauce

• 2 cups of fresh basil leaves (packed down)
• 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup of pinenuts
• 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1//8 tsp freshly ground pepper

Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor until you achieve a smooth consistency.

*This should be enough sauce for 3/4 lbs. of pasta. Reserve a half cup of pasta water (make sure the water isn't too salty) and add it a few tablespoons at a time to the pesto and pasta while you are tossing it together. The pasta water adds the moisture needed to make the pesto coat the pasta evenly.