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How to Make Perfect Pesto

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Pasta with Pesto is Easy and Packed with Flavor. Make this for dinner tonight.

Summer is the perfect time to make pesto from scratch. Of course you can buy pesto in a jar, but why in the world would you when it's this easy and fresh basil is everywhere? Follow these simple steps and you'll have a fabulous meal to impress friends.

Need more nudging? It's healthy, it's quick, it's easy, pretty cheap and it's damn good. Okay, ready?

Get to the local farmer's market or grocery store and pick up a big bunch of basil, a little cheese, some nuts and you're halfway there. Scroll to the end for recipe and additional tips.

Here's my step-by-step guide to making perfect pesto.

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Sweet Basil in a window box.

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Step one: Basil - For one batch of pesto use 2 Cups of basil or a combination of basil and parsley. Rinse and spin it dry in a salad spinner or wrap in a clean, dry kitchen towel. Basil:good. water: bad.

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Step two: Prepare the rest of your ingredients. Garlic - about 5 cloves. Fresh garlic is available in markets now. When selecting garlic, look for firm heads, avoiding those that look dry or feel spongy. If your cloves have begun to sprout, it's just past prime. Remove the green sprout for best flavor.

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Grated Cheese - 1/2 C. I prefer a mix of Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano. Never, never, never use that "parmesan" in the green can. It's got nothing to do with the real thing.

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Pignoli or Pine Nuts - 1/2 C Walnuts, pecans, even almonds can be used instead or in combination. Here's a money-saving tip: Pine nuts can be quite expensive in most gourmet stores or grocery stores. Check out your local Asian grocery store. They're much cheaper there. Store in the freezer.

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Extra Virgin Olive Oil - "EVOO" as Rachael Ray says... Many recipes call for a 2:1 ratio. I prefer 1/2 C of oil to 2C of basil. Start with about 3/4 C or 1/2 C and add to taste.

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Step three: process ingredients. Buzz it up! Place basil, cheese, garlic, nuts in a food processor. Drizzle some oil over the top. Generously grind black pepper and salt. Buzz, scrape sides and taste. Add another 1/4 C or so of oil and process till you get all ingredients blended well. You may reserve some nuts to the final pulses if you'd like some contrasting texture. Don't over process.

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Pesto with Rotelle and Vegetables This amount of pesto will dress a pound of pasta. (The pictured bowl is HUGE.) I used Rotelle (the sprials catch the pesto) and added vegetables from the farmer's market. Red bell pepper; fava beans, peas, mushrooms. These I blanched in the pasta water for a brief time using a "spider" (a large slotted spoon). I dipped the chopped veggies into the pasta, pat dry, then rinsed in cold water. Additional sprinkle of cheese on top, maybe another grind of pepper. Mangia!

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Tags: basil, olive oil, parmigiano-reggiano, pecorino romano, pesto, pine nuts

Published Jul. 26, 2007
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