Fresh Pesto

Fresh. Simple. Tasty. My days of trial & error with trying to find good store bought pesto are officially over! It seriously only takes about 10 minutes to make. The longest part is peeling the garlic and grating the parmigiano reggiano cheese. 

What You'll Need

1.5 Cups of basil leaves (no stems)

1 Tbsp. Pine nuts

2 Cloves of garlic

1/4 Cup of Extra virgin olive oil

1/4 Cup fresh Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1/4 Tsp. Sea salt

1/4 Tsp. cracked black pepper

There is no fancy way to do this recipe. Just chop the basil first, and then go down the list, adding each ingredient into a food processor. Traditionalist use a mortar and pestle but I have not found that kind of patience yet.

The key to good pesto is to use good Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. I only buy the kind that has "Reggiano" on the rind. It can get pricey but its worth it. Trust me, I tried to skimp and it was a total disaster. Just because it says, "Parmigiano" on the package doesn't mean that it's the real deal.  

Try using the "squeeze test". If you squeeze the cheese and it's a little soft- it's a blend (of who knows what!). Authentic Parmigiano should be very firm/hard when squeezed.

....... Enjoy!!!