Saturday, June 14, 2008

First Pesto of the Season

Last week we enjoyed our first Pesto dinner of the season. Spring, summer, and early fall is the season for delightful Pesto when fresh basil is available. Here is our recipe. It serves 2 and then a little left over for the next day or extra portions. Serve with fettuccine and a nice chardonnnay wine.
Wash the basil and pull the leaves from the stems. Throw a clove of garlic into the pot cooking the pasta.

Ingredients:
1 garlic clove (see above)
3 TBS sun dried tomatoes (Julienne cut)
1 TBS butter
Combine the butter and sun dried tomatoes in small pan and at very low heat (just need to warm)
Now combine in food processor:
3 cups basil leaves
1/4 cup pine nuts
8 almonds
3/8 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup Italian parsley (remove larger stems)
1/8 cup high quality olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Process for a few moments.
Remove the garlic from the cooking pasta just before pasta is ready and place in processor.
Remove and set aside 1/2 of the sun dried tomatoes and put the melted butter plus remaining sun dried tomatoes also into the processor.
Complete processing the pesto for another minute or 2.

Now dish out the pasta and place a nice portion of the Pesto on pasta and then place the reserved sun dried tomatoes on the very top of the Pesto.

Enjoy.

Serve with French bread.