Basic pesto sauce

This is nice to make - especially during the summer months; you're still having a great tasting meal but it's done in no time.

Serve over hot pasta or chilled cheese tortellini - great over hot ones too!


1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup chopped parsley
2 garlic cloves, quartered
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg - optional

In blender place all ingredients. cover and blend at medium speed untill all is well mixed.

Add/take away garlic and/or basil to your preference. I personally cant get enough of either. I'm not a fan of nutmeg - so usually don't use it.

Mama thanks so much.
Makes me wish that dang basil would hurry even more now.
I do not like pesto with pine nuts.

I prefer to enjoy nuts in dessert-type dishes - maybe once in a while on a certain type of a salad - but not in my meals - very, very seldom! And NEVER in my pasta dish! LOL

Nuts, in pesto, serve the same two functions as the Parmesano: 1. flavor, and 2. as a thickening agent.

If you leave out the nuts you have to increase the cheese content. Not that that's a bad thing, by any means.

I do like nutmeg. But don't see the purpose of it in Mama's recipe. I would leave it out, myself, as she does.

Personally, I like the combo of basil and pine nuts. Friend Wife, on the other hand, doesn't care for pine nuts at all. So we've tried all sorts of variations.

The most common is parsley and walnuts. I'll pass on that one. I don't care for parlsey as the main ingredient of anything. And walnuts tend to turn bitter (their high oil content goes rancid). I would substitute pecans for the walnuts in this one. And if you try it, be sure and use the flat-leaf parsley, which has some flavor, as opposed to the curley leaf, which doesn't.

Recently I've seen, but haven't tried, a recipe for pesto using arugala and filberts. Sounds like a winner, especially for when a little bit of bite is wanted. And a good way of using up the arugala before the heat comes in.

A friend of mine makes pesto with fresh oregano. That's always seemed a bit much to me, but could be a nice change of pace for anyone preferring a slightly stronger herbal flavor.

Thanks KY. You guys have been wonderful and taught me so much already.
I have some oregano in the garden. I am really looking forward to trying it fresh for the first time.

M-m-m-m pesto I love it! And since I am growing basil I will be making up alot this summer!

One question MamaM, does it keep well for long periods of time, and if not is it somethnig we can keep frozen?

You can freeze for short periods - I don't like anything frozen too long.

OK thanks Mama

By the way - thaw in the fridge until ready to use - do not microwave or anything else to thaw it.

10-4 Mama I am glad you let me know!

Cathy,

Many people freeze pesto in ice-cube trays. Once frozen they pop them out and store them in freezer bags.

That way you always have a couple of tablespoons handly to add to soups, stews, or pasta. Take out the cubes you want, defrost them (as Mama says, in the fridge), and you're good to go.