I don’t think I could even begin to count the number of meals that featured pesto as the centerpiece. I make it with cheese, for a dairy pasta dish. I make it without cheese, for a parve pasta dish, to which I add good, chopped black olives, roasted peppers, sundried tomatoes. Sometimes I make it simple – just dairy pesto mixed with pasta. Other times, I add tuna, peas, sliced red peppers.
Pesto freezes very well. In the summer, when basil is plentiful, I make huge batches of pesto sauce and freeze the sauce in individual containers of 4 to 6 ounces each. It lasts quite a while in the freezer, and makes for a great last-minute meal.
This will make two cups of pesto, which is enough for between 2 and 4 pounds of boxed pasta, depending on how much sauce you like mixed into the pasta.
Ingredients
2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and spun dry
1 cup shelled walnuts
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup freshly grated Romano cheese
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
Combine the basil and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor.
With the motor running, add olive oil in a steady stream.
Once combined, transfer pesto to a medium glass bowl. Stir in cheeses, a big pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
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