Basil Pesto

When summer arrives and there is plenty of fresh basil, you will want to stock up on this aromatic basil pesto. This is a favorite for all those pasta lovers.

You will need:

2 cups of fresh picked green basil-torn but not bruised

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Oreno Hellenic Ladi preferred)

2 tablespoons pine nuts (these can be pricey at times, but well worth it)

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 teaspoon salt

Put all the items into a blender and mix at high speed.  It doesn’t take long for all the pesto to reach the paste consistency. This is too good to waste so you want to stop and scrape the sides.

The next step is to put into a bowl and beat in the following items:

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese. Freshly grated is always best, but if you’re in a hurry the shredded packages are fine also.

2 tablespoons grated romano and pecorino cheese. Again, freshly grated is always best, but if you’re in a hurry the shredded packages are fine also.

Add: 3 tablespoons softened butter

You will need to have your pasta ready. We usually use spaghetti when serving with pesto, but it’s your choice. Prepare the pasta as directed on the package, but make sure the water is salted and boiling before placing the noodles to cook.

Before emptying the pasta water, keep 1-2 tablespoons of water to add to the pesto before mixing the pesto with the pasta.

We always serve this dish with sliced French bread and a green salad.

The French bread is brushed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Oreno Hellenic Ladi preferred) and rubbed with a garlic clove. The salad dressing always consists of

Extra Virgin Olive Oil and red wine vinegar poured to your liking with oregano, minced garlic clove, salt and freshly ground pepper. If there are fresh lemons nearby, add little lemon juice and reduce the salt.