Ingredients
⅓cupwalnuts
2largegarlic cloves,roughly chopped
2cupsfresh basil leaves,gently packed
½tspsalt
¼tspground black pepper
⅔cupextra virgin olive oil
½cupparmigiano reggiano,grated
Preparation
Place the walnuts and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until coarsely chopped.
Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper and process until mixture resembles a paste. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly blended.
Add the Parmesan and process a minute more. Use pesto immediately or store in a tightly sealed jar or air-tight plastic container, covered with a thin layer of olive oil (this seals out the air and prevents the pesto from oxidizing, which would turn it an ugly brown color).
It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
