A Pesto Post

hi mfo,

i'm your regular reader..

would u mind sharing ur pesto recipe please..

i've read ur post about ur wedding and thats ur give-away (with basil plant) to ur guest.

thank u so much!



Sure! I am more than happy to share my pesto recipe! This actually is an evolved version of Marcella Hazan's pesto sauce. Tita Mary Ann, who is such a good cook, and the mother-in-law of Nina, one of my best friends, suggested that I add a squirt of lemon juice to my original pesto recipe and it turned out so good, with a bit of tangy zest to it. Here it is should you feel the urge to eat pesto pasta! You can also top it over baked potatoes or spread over a slice of french bread.

You can make this in 10 minutes tops with the help of a blender or food processor. Cheaper too than buying ready made pesto sauce!

2 cups fresh basil, packed
1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese (if you are planning to freeze the pesto sauce, you can just add this to your dish separately)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 medium sized cloves of garlic
1/2 a lemon
salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Combine basil and nuts in a blender and pulse a couple of times
2. Add the garlic and pulse a few times more
3. Slowly add olive oil while the blender is on (using the “window”, keep the lid on of course)
4. Stop to scrape the sides with a spatula
5. Add cheese (if to be served immediately. If sauce will be placed in the freezer for future use, skip this step)
6. Squeeze out lemon juice and pulse (make sure to remove the seeds prior to pulsing)
7. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste

I normally freeze my pesto sauce in small containers so that I can only thaw enough for a meal.

Enjoy! =)