Pesto sauce is quick and easy to make. The drawback is that the ingredients can be pricey, especially pine nuts, fresh basil, and fresh parmesan cheese. By the time all the ingredients are purchased, the tally ends up being much higher than a tub of "fresh" pesto found in the cheese section at the local supermarket. However, it's worth it to splurge once in awhile because homemade pesto can be fine-tuned to taste exactly how you want it, and it always tastes better than the store-bought variety.
The recipe below reflects how I prefer my pesto. I tend to prefer more cheese and less garlic than most pesto recipes. I prefer not to puree my cheese with the other ingredients in order to allow the sauce to have more texture; plus, it's easier on my blender when I am not trying to blend in the cheese. When I puree the ingredients, I try to leave a little texture remaining from the basil and pine nuts. If the sauce is too dry, add more olive oil or some cold water (for a less fattening sauce). It's okay to increase and decrease the ingredient amounts listed below, based on your own taste preferences.
1) Puree together in a food processor:
4 oz fresh basil, washed & stems removed
1 clove crushed garlic (may add more garlic if desired)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup (2.25 oz pkg) pine nuts
salt & pepper to taste
2) Stir this mixture into:
1 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
3) Store in a sealed container up to three days in the refrigerator. Serve with pasta, meats, vegetables, or fish. Generally, the sauce is best stirred into hot pasta without cooking the sauce further. If pesto is cooked, remember that the oils will separate, the cheese will melt, and the consistency will change. Click here to find many creative uses for pesto sauce.