Fresh Basil & Pine Nut Pesto

Last night I fell asleep at 7 pm! Talk about needing to recover from the weekend and a looong Monday. Last night I really wanted a quick and simple dinner to make (and then promptly fall asleep)…so I found some pasta to boil and fresh pesto! This is a pretty basic pesto recipe, which I find to be great since you can spruce it up however you like! I had the pleasure of spending time at my parent’s house this weekend where my mom grows all sorts of yummy things in her garden…including fresh basil. Next year I really want an herb garden to be a part of our little apartment deck. The only problem is we have very little sunlight. I think the consensus is that there is direct sunlight from about 9 am to 10 am, and then shade the whole rest of the day. Sigh. Regardless, if my deck doesn’t make the cut, I will be searching the KC area for a good community garden. I have heard good things, but still have yet to participate. Anyways, here is the pesto recipe. I hope you try it since it is super easy AND a lot better than buying the expensive stuff at the store.

Fresh Basil & Pine Nut Pesto

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh basil (packed)
• 1 3/4 oz. pine nuts
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• salt & pepper to taste (about a 1/2 tsp. each)

Preparation: In a food processor (or blender) add in basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic and olive oil. Blend. Then add lemon juice and salt and pepper for desired taste. Blend until smooth. About 2 - 3 minutes.

Source: Modified from Simply Recipes

The Fresh Fridge Tip: For storing pesto for later use, place pesto in a tightly sealed container and layer with olive oil (lasts about a week). Or place pesto in the freezer for longer preservation.