Pesto recipe

One of my favorite things about summer is the bounty of fresh herbs that are just outside my doorstep. Fresh herbs make any meal instantly more flavorful and beautiful. My favorite thing to do with all of those fresh herbs (aside from sprinkle them on everything) is to make pesto! It’s especially great for lazy summertime cooking. I like to dollop it on grilled vegetables, pasta, spaghetti squash, salads, eggs, toasted bread, pizza, sandwiches… you get the idea. With just a few easy steps, it makes anything an instant tasty meal, whether you feel like cooking or not. Traditional pesto is a blend of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, extra-virgin olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. With a food processor, it comes together in just a few steps: Pulse the nuts, lemon juice, and garlic in the food processor until they're finely chopped. Add the basil and pulse again. Here's a classic pesto recipe that's perfect for pasta, sandwiches, salads, or as a dip: Ingredients: 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts 3 garlic cloves, minced Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Instructions: Toast the pine nuts or walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until lightly golden and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to burn them. Remove from heat and let them cool slightly. In a food processor, combine the basil leaves, toasted nuts, minced garlic, and grated Parmesan cheese. Pulse the mixture a few times until coarsely chopped. While the food processor is running, gradually add the olive oil in a steady stream until the pesto reaches your desired consistency. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Taste the pesto and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Pulse again to combine. If the pesto is too thick, you can add a little more olive oil to reach the desired consistency.