PESTO
4 Cups clean basil leaves 8 Cloves garlic
3/4 Cup olive oil 1/4 Cup Parmesan
1/4 Cup pine nuts salt and pepper
Put all of above in food processor and process until of desired consistency, adding more olive oil if necessary. Serve over pasta, sprinkle with extra, fresh grated parmesan and enjoy! Sometimes I like to heat the pesto before pouring over bowtie pasta.
I do not toast the pine nuts. Usually I make about 3 or 4 batches of pesto then pour into small canning jars, then freeze. If I have more basil, I make several more batches because we love it on pasta, in Minestrone Soup and sometimes, a spoonful over vegetables. The above recipe is a good, basic way to get started; later, you can experiment with various nuts, etc. I always go back to this recipe though as it seems to fill our needs!