Basil pesto

Sure beats the jarred stuff!

When we were at the Waukesha Farmers' Market, we bought three leafy bunches of basil for $6. It was like purchasing a small bush. But that's just about how much basil you need to make your own pesto. 

I've always loved pesto, probably since Noodles made it easy to come by with their Pesto Cavatappi. But then my bosom friend Rachelle got in the habit of feeding us her mom's homemade pesto sauce, and the store-bought stuff has never held the same appeal. Sure, I still eat it (gladly), but I've always wanted to try my hand at making it from scratch. Thank you, farmers' market, for giving me this chance!

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BASIL PESTO

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Pecorino cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
salt and pepper to taste

WHAT YOU'LL DO:
In a food processor, combine basil, garlic, and pine nuts. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Add oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. (*Note: If you're not using the sauce immediately, add only 1/2 cup of oil. Just before using, add remaining oil.) Transfer pesto to a mixing boil and stir in cheese.  

*Note on toasting pine nuts: Place nuts in a shallow frying pan and stir over medium heat for a few minutes. Heat until golden and fragrant, but watch them carefully; pine nuts go from golden to burnt in no-time.

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PESTO PASTA

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
Basil pesto sauce
1-lb. box pasta (I used cavatappi) 
1/4 to 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan (plus more to taste)
salt and pepper and/or garlic salt to taste
olive oil
handful of basil leaves (optional)  

WHAT YOU'LL DO:
1. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine sun dried tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and pulse until finely chopped. If adding extra basil leaves, give them a coarse chop. 

2. Heat pesto sauce in a large pan. Just before mixing in cooked pasta, slowly stir in heavy cream. Add pasta and toss to coast. Add chopped sun dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, cheese, and garlic salt & pepper to taste. Just before serving, toss in chopped basil and top with more cheese and garlic salt if desired.

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Usually I'm not the biggest fan of sun dried tomatoes and their concentrated super-sweetness and chewy texture, but pulsing them in the food processor took care of that. As for the cheese, you can substitute Parmesan throughout, but make sure it's the good stuff — the quality of ingredients makes all the difference here. 

Speaking of quality ingredients: I must say that my farmers' market basil didn't look as pristine and green as the stuff I've bought in the grocery store. There were some (well, more like plenty of) brown spots — but Google told me that was okay. While you wouldn't want to use spotty basil as a garnish (it's just not very pretty), it's totally fine when processed in pesto. And it was!