Pasta with Pesto

I used to be afraid of pesto. I'm not sure why but I didn't grow up eating it. I had it once at a friend's house for the first time. It was over pasta and there were pieces of potato in it. I really liked it. Then as usual I wouldn't order it out because what if it didn't taste the same. What if I only liked it that way because the particular person who made it did something so unique and special? Not really. The older I get the more I have gotten over my fear of eating new things. I wouldn't be much of a foodie if I didn't try new food, would I? The next time I had Pesto was when Steve's mom made it. I was definitely nervous but I was in the stage of my relationship where if Steve liked it I would just eat it because I didn't want to seem difficult or picky. Turned out that again I loved it! I made sure I got my hands on the recipe and this is what I've been using ever since. It comes from an out of print James Beard Cookbook that I can't get my hands on. (It has since been reprinted AND CHANGED in the new cookbook and the measurements don't work for us.) This is a great dish to make when it's too hot to turn on the oven or when you simply want to use some of that beautiful summer basil.

Here's the James Beard Recipe - Thank You Lyn for sharing this with me!

1 cup fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup parsley
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup pinoli nuts
½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (I always use Locatelli Romano)
½ tsp. salt

Place all ingredients in a blender and whirl until a thick uniform paste is formed, add more oil if paste is too thick. This amount is enough for 1 lb pasta. Pesto may be stored in refrigerator for several weeks or in the freezer for several months. Place in a jar or container and coat with a thin layer of olive oil, cover tightly.

Note: You can use chicken broth to thin out the paste if you don’t want to add more oil.