Perfect Pesto
Growing up in Indianapolis, there was this one particular pizza place I loved to visit and gorge myself on for their pesto. It is so good. Fifteen years later, I still visit every time I go back but it has sort of lost it’s luster for me. The reason, a waitress with a big mouth. A few years ago, I was telling this waitress how much I adore their pesto and she started rambling on about the ingredients which are not exotic but the consistency is perfect. As soon as she walked away, I wrote what she had said down on a napkin and went to work trying to recreate it. After a few tries, I got the ratios right and now can I have my favorite pesto whenever I want instead of waiting until I visit Indiana. While this is my favorite pesto in the whole gigantic (yet quickly shrinking) world, I actually named it Perfect Pesto because it’s a great “annoying people” repellant. 😉 So if you make it for a date night make sure you both eat it.
Perfect Pesto
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup of pine nuts
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1.5 cups of finely grated parmesan cheese (I use a pre-grated parmesan romano blend from Trader Joes’s)
Directions: Put the basil, pine nuts, garlic and half of the oil in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and scrap mixture into a bowl. Still in the parmesan cheese and add more oil until desired consistency is reached. I like mine thick and chunky.
I use this pesto for pastas, pizzas, stuffed tomatoes, on chicken, and, on french bread (of course). Oddly enough, my favorite time to eat it is at breakfast either plain on eggs or on an egg sandwich. Yum!
Ezekiel bread, pesto, scrambled eggs, tomato, and sea salt.
or…
...with a fried egg and melted mozzarella. Mmmmmm....
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This one is TOTALLY RANDOM but since I saw this movie not long ago and loved it, I thought I’d share it.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox DVD at Tiara’s & Tantrums (If I win it we’ll make a perfect pesto pizza and watch it!)
Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn
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This recipe sounds amazing! I have never made pesto from scratch. I always just use the Classico stuff. Now that I have your recommendation I will have to give it a try, thanks.
pesto is my absolute favorite pasta sauce/dip/thing to lick off the plate
this looks great jenn. and i love that you added the different way you use it – they all look great. thanks for sharing! i love your ideas!
Should have known that the “secret” ingredient to the fab pesto was 1.5 cups of cheese. I’ll have to make this soon.. Thx for posting!
Looks delish! Thanks for sharing! (the egg one is a must-try! :-))
My boyfriend is a huge pesto fan, but I’ve never actually made it myself. Can’t wait to try your recipe out!
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm pesto!!!! I have not had it in forever!!!!!
Love the recipe!! I bet the family loved it!!!
have a great day beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! xoxo
Mmm lovely recipe! Pine nuts are just yummy in general!
sounds a lot like my mom’s recipe, except she’s heavier on the basil and parsley. Can’t wait for summer herbs!!!
Yum! Confession: I have never actually made pesto homemade. I don’t know why, but I have it in my head that it’s a really gourmet food. Seeing your recipe makes me realize how simple it really is!
mmmm pesto. i could eat a vat of the stuff. i bet if i bathed in it my skin would be super soft and i would smell like a garden. sounds like a plan.
I’m totally going to try it- yummy!