⅓ cup pine nuts (A thrifty substitute is walnuts, store extra in your freezer to prolong their shelf life.)
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
3½ cup basil leaves
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon wedge
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
In a small pan over a medium flame, toast the nuts. Just place them in the pan dry and give them a shimmy-shake every so often. As soon as you can smell them and they start to show some color, spread them on a plate to cool. This should only take about five minutes. Watch them carefully, so they don't burn.
Add nuts, garlic, basil, cheese, a generous pinch of sea salt and a pinch of black pepper to a food processor with a steel blade. Pulse a few time to get it going. Then turn it on and slowly stream in the olive oil. Watch the pesto as you add the oil. You want a loose consistency, but not too liquidy. Adjust as needed.
Taste the pesto and adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Take your small wedge of lemon and squeeze the juice into the pesto. This helps preserve the green color and gives it a hint of brightness. Pulse to perfection. Enjoy your pesto right away, or place a bit of plastic wrap directly on the pesto while you cook. This also helps preserve the color.
Recipe by Mamaguru at http://mamaguru.com/making-groceries-pesto/