MMM Monday, Pesto Sauce …

For the past couple of years one of favorite herbs to grow has been basil. It is a very easy plant to grow and the culinary possibilities are endless.

Yesterday Michael created several mouth watering dishes all containing his homemade pesto sauce. He incorporated it in a delicious mayonnaise that was used on a savory steak and focaccia sandwich. Threw together homemade pesto raviolis. And finally used the remaining sauce to create a cold pesto ravioli salad with diced roman tomatoes Parmesan cheese.

Here is the basic pesto recipe.

Happy cooking!

Pesto Sauce (makes 1 cup)

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.