Homemade Basil Pesto
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup walnuts
3 peeled and roughly chopped garlic cloves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese or a combination of the two
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Use the measurements as guidelines and adjust the amounts to suit your taste.
In a small saute pan or skillet, toast the pine nuts and walnuts over medium heat, shaking constantly, for a few minutes to give them a nice toasty flavor, but being careful not to let them burn ... the difference between toasted nutty goodness and blaring smoke alarm is, oh, about a second, haha. Let the nuts cool until they can be handled easily.
Put the basil, pine nuts, and walnuts in a food processor and pulse a few times to roughly chop. Add the garlic cloves and pulse a few times.
With the food processor running, slowly stream in the olive oil. Stop processing and scrape down the sides of the food processor with a spatula.
Add the grated cheese and pulse just to combine. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper and pulse to combine.
Let the pesto rest for a few minutes, especially if you're using Kosher salt, which has larger granules than table salt and needs some time to dissolve. Then give your pesto a quick pulse in the food processor, taste it, and add more olive oil, salt, or pepper if necessary.
