garlicky pesto

I love pesto that has so much garlic it should come with a warning.  Something like: do not eat if you are planning on going on on a first date within 24 hours, and especially if you plan on kissing the person goodnight. Because if you do, you may not have a second date.    

I love it to have so much garlic that it is zingy and spicy. Not to downplay the basil.  The basil plays just as important of a role, if not the most important. It is the perfect partner for the garlic because it balances it out and tells it when to slow down and take it down a notch.  

Because basil and garlic get along so well, you can bring them out with a lot of different ingredients. In the pesto form, it goes well with pasta, sandwiches, and even on chicken or fish.  The possibilities with pesto are endless.  My personal favorite is over spaghetti with green beans and potatoes, or on a baguette with fresh sliced tomatoes and mozzarella.  Yum.

Ingredients

1 large bunch of basil
3 cloves of garlic
1 cup of pine nuts
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
around 1/2 a cup of extra virgin olive oil

A little side note : you can easily make this by throwing these ingredients into a blender, but you will not get the same results as you would by doing it the real deal way by chopping it by hand.  So, leave the blender in the cabinet and get out your sharpest knife and a large cutting board.  Don’t worry, it will not take that much longer and you’ll get a little workout.  Best of all, the taste and texture will be much more intense. It is well worth the extra effort.  

Start by chopping the garlic.   Then add in a handful of the basil.  Keep adding basil until there is no more and keep chopping until it is in little green flakes. 

Add in the pine nuts.  Keep on chopping. Scrap and chop, scrape and chop. 

Add the cheese along with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Continue chopping away until you have a thick paste-like substance.  Transfer the pesto to a small bowl, and stir in the olive oil. You're done. You can store your pesto for later, or better yet use it right away over pasta, bread, or whatever your heart desires.  

Enjoy.  And remember ... no kissing, unless of course you are sharing ;)