Homeade Pesto

Pesto is an aromatic herb paste, traditionally made from fresh basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and olive oil. Pesto has its origins in Liguria, Italy, where people have been making it for hundreds of years with the brilliant green basil that grows wild on the hillsides. Nowadays, flavorful, fragrant variations of pesto can be made with other herbs such as cilantro or mint.

Pesto Pointers:

Fresh basil is very delicate, and will turn brown if it gets very hot or if it's exposed to air for long periods of time. Many cooks use fresh spinach as well as basil in their pesto to help maintain its brilliant green color.

When mixing pesto with pasta, potatoes, or risotto, stir it in at the last minute, just before serving.

Store pesto in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week, or in the freezer for about six months.

Keep it looking fresh and green by covering the top with a thin layer of olive oil or with a sheet of plastic wrap directly on its surface; this will keep it from oxidizing and turning brown. (If your pesto darkens in color, it will still taste good. Only discard it if it has been stored improperly.)

One way to freeze pesto in manageable portion sizes is to freeze it in an ice cube tray, and transfer the cubes to a heavy duty plastic freezer bag. (Reserve an ice cube tray for this purpose, as it may discolor and flavor your plastic tray.) Thaw frozen pesto in the refrigerator or in the microwave on medium power just until room temperature.

Serving Suggestions for Pesto
Although pesto is easy to make at home and will taste fresher than the purchased kind, you can also find it at the grocery store in shelf-stable jars, in the refrigerator case, or in the freezer section.

Try pesto:

On pizza in place of or in addition to the red sauce

Added to a cream sauce or Alfredo sauce

Mixed with mayonnaise as a sandwich spread or burger topping

Stirred into mashed potatoes or risotto

Dolloped on soup

Whisked into scrambled eggs or folded into omelets

In pasta salads, potato salads, or salad dressings

Mixed with cream cheese and spread on a bagel

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Simple Garlic and Basil Pesto Recipe:

INGREDIENTS

3 cups chopped fresh basil
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts (or walnuts which are less expensive)
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

DIRECTIONS
Place the basil in a blender. Pour in about 1 tablespoon of the oil, and blend basil into a paste. Gradually add nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, chili powder, and remaining oil. Continue to blend until smooth.

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