Basil Pesto from Just a Taste

Basil Pesto - made July 10, 2020 from Just a Taste

I love pasta with pesto. Pesto is one of the easier things to make and could potentially be one of the healthier things I eat, considering it's mostly comprised of basil leaves which are green and grow out of the earth. What? That's as close to "leafy greens" as I typically get.

One downside of pesto when I eat out at a restaurant (back in the good ol' days, before March 2020) sometimes though is it's too oily due to an abundance of olive oil used. I like making my own pesto to control the oiliness factor. Yes, olive oil is supposed to be better for you than most oils but I still don't like my pesto too oily.

The bad thing though is if you don't use enough oil or liquid, the pesto can be dry. Hard to imagine dry pesto but if it can be done, I can find a way. I skimped on the olive oil here but substituted a little chicken broth. I don't think I used enough but this still turned out fairly well.

I tossed the pesto with some linguine and shrimp to make shrimp pesto pasta, always a favorite. My mom's version is better but I'm not going to quibble.

If you don't have a basil plant to grow your own basil (which I've done in the past and it's surprisingly easy, even with my black thumb), Trader Joe's sells a package of basil that's pretty high quality and not too expensive. That's what I used here. I love Trader Joe's and it's one of the few places I've gone to (always masked) since the pandemic and staying at home became a thing.

2 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and thoroughly dried
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted and cooled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. In a food processor or blender, combine the basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, toasted pine nuts, salt and pepper. Pulse the ingredients together until well blended.
2. While the food processor is running, drizzle in the olive oil and continue blending, scraping down the sides as needed, until the pesto is pureed. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Store in refrigerator until needed.