pesto sauce

I have never made pesto sauce before and I think I tried it once in a dish, thus, I was very interested in making some myself.

I should have thought it through without jumping in gung-ho because this recipe makes a LARGE batch of pesto. I'll be blogging 2 more recipes in the upcoming week that showcases pesto. Resourceful, yes I am! I had to, we got tired of eating it on bread and crackers :)

Since I made such a large batch (gosh, I didn't realize how much leaves are really needed to fill up 4 cups!) , I substituted with some parsely since I didn't have enough basil leaves. One thing I would definitely change is the amount of oil that is put in this recipe. I was unimpressed with the amount it called for and if I did this again, I would really cut back the amount. I felt my intestines were well coated after eating this pesto.

Since making this recipe, it's like I notice pesto everywhere! Tv shows, cookbooks, blogs, etc! And so many variations to try... you can substitue almonds for pinenuts, substitue spinach instead of basil, how exciting!

But, next time, I'll make sure to make a smaller batch.

...

pesto sauce
makes about 4 cups

2 cups basil leaves, well packed
2 cups parsely leaves, well packed
4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed and peeled
1 cup pine nuts
1-1/2 cups parmeson cheese, grated
1-1/2 cups olive oil **
salt and pepper to taste

** I recommend using a LOT less oil, but that's my preference.

Adapted from: pesto sauce website