Nothing tastes as good as homemade pesto on fresh pasta! I found myself dreaming about it as I picked the pungent leaves from the basil plants today. Thank goodness the rain has stopped and fields are dry enough to explore the bounty of crops. Try Martha Stewart's easy recipe for basil pesto from her Everyday FOOD cookbook.
Pesto
1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts
4 cups fresh basil loosely packed
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove
salt & pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
Toast nuts until golden. Let cool.
In a food processor, combine toasted nuts, basil, parm and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Process until finely chopped. With the machine running, pour in olive oil in a steady stream. Process until smooth.
Stir into warm pasta. Makes 1 1/4 cups.
Having a wide flat bottomed bowl to eat out of allows one to see the meal properly and have room to swirl a fork around in.
