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 Posted By: Mama Mangia 
May 22  # 1 of 11
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.
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 Posted By: jglass 
May 22  # 2 of 11
Mama thanks so much.
Makes me wish that dang basil would hurry even more now.
I do not like pesto with pine nuts.
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 Posted By: Mama Mangia 
May 22  # 3 of 11
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
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 Posted By: KYHeirloomer 
May 23  # 4 of 11
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.
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 Posted By: jglass 
May 23  # 5 of 11
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.