Basil Pesto with Pine Nuts

It’s that time of year again and my garden is overflowing with basil! I love basil  so I always plant a few varieties every spring so I will have plenty to work with all summer. For this pesto I used Sweet Basil which is the most common type you will find in the store and also my favorite. This is a very simple, classic recipe for basil pesto and it’s very versatile for all types of dishes. I love to use it as a sauce for pasta, grilled meats and spread it on bread to add to panini sandwiches.

As you can see,  there is an abundance of basil in my garden. The darker green plant with the larger leaves is the Sweet Basil and the plant with the lighter colored leaves behind it with the darker stems is Cinnamon Basil. Both make great pestos using pine buts or walnuts but the Cinnamon Basil is also great in Thai dishes and stir frys.

I hope you get as much use out of this recipe in your dishes as I do. It’s a great go-to for pesto any time.

Recipe:

• 2 cups of freshly packed Basil
• 2 cloves of Garlic
• 1/2 cup of Pine Nuts
• 2/3-1 cup Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2/3 cups Pecorino Cheese

Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts  and cheese in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add  the olive oil through the chute of the processor and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper and pulse a couple more times to incorporate.