Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4
Main ingredient: Pine nuts, garlic, basil

Ingredients:
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 medium garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves (get more basil than you think you need)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves (optional -- for color)
7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
1. Toast the nuts in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat stirring frequently, until just golden and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a plate.

2. Add the unpeeled garlic to the empty skillet. Toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant and the color of the cloves deepens slightly, about 7 minutes. Let the garlic cool, then peel and chop.

3. Combine the basil and parsley in a heavy duty gallon-size zipper lock bag. Pound with bag with a meat pounded ror rolling pin until all the leaves are bruised.

4. Place the nuts, garlic, pounded herbs, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Process until smooth, stopping as necessary to scrap down sides of work bowl. Transfer mixture to a small bowl, stir in the Parmesan, and adjust salt to taste. (May be covered with plastic or thin sheet of oil and kept for up to 3 days.)


Serve with 1 pound pasta. (I used 1/2 pound and it was nice -- had enough pesto to cover pasta well.)