Pesto

This delicious pesto recipe.

Susan, if you read this, please do not be mad at me for copy-pasting your recipe. It’s just that if I lost it I would be heart broken.

Pasta with Creamy Pesto

Ingredients

Pesto Sauce

• 1 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 4 cloves garlic (I cheat and use the stuff in a jar)
• 1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese (non-processed parmesan is fine too)
• 1 t coarse ground black pepper
• to taste salt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Alfredo Sauce

• 1/4 stick butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 T flour
• 1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese (or freshly shredded parmesan)

Pasta

• cooked pasta of choice (our favorites: ribbed penne or capellini)

Instructions

Pesto

Process the first six ingredients in a food processor until uniformly chopped. Gradually add the olive oil while the processor is running. You’ll definitely want to taste and add things as needed. Consistency will be a fairly thick paste.

Alfredo

Melt the butter in a medium pan. Add flour; cook and stir for 2 minutes with a wire whisk. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Cook until it starts to thicken. Add cheese. When the sauce has thickened to your liking, add the pesto. Serve over hot pasta. Serves four or two depending on how "wet" you like your pasta.

She also has a phenomenal cheese sauce recipe on the Chicken Divine page.

Roasting Pine nuts (from about.com)

In a toaster oven:

Roast raw pine nuts on a flat tray in a 350-degree F. oven for about 10 minutes, shaking halfway through. They may also be toasted on top of the stove in a heavy skillet, stirring often until they turn golden.

In the normal oven:

300 deg F, 3 minutes, turn, 4 minutes (until slightly golden brown)