Pesto Sauce

Pesto - we love it! Since the first time I had real, fresh pesto in Florence, Italy, I was hooked. The luscious, green, salty paste has become a staple in our house during the summer months, when basil is everywhere. Real pesto calls for pine nuts and parmesan cheese, but our everyday cheese-free version with almonds is "just as good" to quote Noa. So here it is:

This recipe makes enough for two medium/small jars (about 200-250 mL each). In our house this lasts for about a week (if we are away...).


Ingredients:
2 huge bunches of basil (enough leaves to fill the food processor. Make sure the leaves are clean and dry)
3 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup of blanched almonds
Approximately 1.5 cups olive oil
Salt

Directions:

1. Put basil leaves, garlic, and almonds in a food processor and blitz until combined and chopped.
2. Add olive oil slowly, continuing to blitz until smooth and creamy, add salt to taste and mix together.
3. Transfer to clean jars, pour a little olive oil on top to stop it from spoiling, and store in the fridge (this also freezes well).

How to keep your pesto from turning black:

Pesto often runs dark green/black when exposed to air. In our house this is rarely a problem since it gets finished very quickly before this becomes an issue, but if you want your pesto to retain its glorious green colour here's how to do it. I learned this secret from Angelica, an Italian friend we met in Kathmandu, and it works beautifully. Simply blanch the clean basil leaves by putting them into boiling water for about 15-30 seconds. Drain well, dry as much as possible, and then follow the steps listed above. Your pesto will stay a fresh, luminous green for much longer.

  

Noa's tips for using pesto:

1. Add to warm pasta, grate parmesan cheese on top and enjoy!
2. Makes an excellent sandwich filler, especially with a slice of cheese, a few tomato slices, and fresh basil leaves. This is quite possibly her favourite sandwich!