Pesto
When I was a kid, my parents, and their friends, whenever confronted with a large quantity of basil, would say, “We need to make pesto!” — as if it were a civic duty. This makes a sublime end-of-summer supper with rotini, cherry tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella.
Pesto
4 cups basil leaves
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 cup olive oil
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
Toast pine nuts lightly in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking frequently.
Put all ingredients (but only half the olive oil) in a food processor and pulse until pasty, scraping the sides with a rubber spatula from time to time. Add remaining olive oil gradually until you are happy with the consistency — you need not use it all.
Makes enough so that you can freeze half, unless you’re cooking for a crowd.