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PESTO (blender)

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Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup pine nuts to taste
  • 3 garlic cloves or more, to taste
  • 1 1/2 cups basil leaves well-washed, dried, and pickedover, no stems; tightly packed
  • 1 tsp. salt may omit
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Pecorino, or Sardo cheese (or a combination of the three)

Instructions
 

  • Into the container of a Blender put —
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup pine nuts (to taste)
  • 3 garlic cloves (or more, to taste)
  • 1 1/2 cups basil leaves (well-washed, dried, and pickedover, no stems; tightly packed)
  • 1 tsp. salt (may omit)
  • Blend for 1 to 1 1/4 minutes or until the ingredients arereduced to a paste.
  • Add 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, Pecorino, or Sardo cheese (or a combination of thethree) and blend again briefly.

Notes

Toss sauce lightly with about 3/4 lb. spaghettini and serve with additional grated cheese. (This is the point to pullout your pricey Parmigiano-Reggiano and the nifty table grater you’ve been saving.)
You can use pestowith rice or gnocchi or even on baked potatoes. Also good with hot vegetables, e.g. green beans.
You can make this with fresh parsley instead of basil,which of course changes the flavor greatly. Also, you can use walnuts or shelled sunflower seeds if pine nuts are not available.
Keyword MOlded Salads, Salads and Salad Dressings