Many years ago, when my food processor was new and I didn't yet Know how to make the most of it, my friend Bill invited a good friend of his who was a great cook to come to my house to show me how to use it. She asked that we buy the ingredients for a dinner and she would do the cooking. The list was somewhat foreign to me but I trusted her judgment. She arrived with a huge bunch of fresh basil and sarted by making a tangy pesto sauce. By the time the dinner was ready, the kitchen was a total wreck - she wasn't the kind of cook who cleans as she goes - but the food was great. This sauce keeps, its surface covered with plastic wrap, chilled, for a week. (Or more. I've kept a small covered jar filled with pesto sauce topped with olive oil in my refrigerator for months.)
BASIC PESTO SAUCE
3 large garlic cloves
1/2 C pine nuts (best toasted; it brings out the flavor)
2-oz parmesan cheese, coarsely grated (about 2/3 C)
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
3 C loosely packed fresh basil
2/3 C extra virgin olive oil
1. With food processor running, drop in garlic and finely chop. Stop motor and add nuts, cheese, salt and pepper and basil, then process until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil, blending until incorporated. The mixture should have the consistency of a thick sauce.
Note: for a different flavor, you can use walnuts instead of pine nuts and walnut oil instead of olive oil.
PASTA WITH PESTO
Put 2/3 C pesto in a large bowl and reserve. Cook 1 lb linguine or spaghetti until al dente, then whisk about 1/3 C pasta cooking water into reserved pesto. Add drained pasta to thinned pesto with salt and pepper to taste and toss well. Serve with additional parmesan. Seves 4-6
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