If you love crusty fresh bread and garlicky goodness then you probably love pesto.  When the basil goes on sale at my local grocery store, I know that I will be breaking out the food processor…and then the breath mints!

I have tried a few pesto recipes but this one is my absolute favorite, because it is delicious and easy.  Here are the ingredients that you need or as The Pioneer Woman would say “The Cast of Characters”.

Easy Pesto Recipe

2 Cups of Basil Leaves (Usually two full bunches from the grocery store).

1/4 Cup of Pine Nuts

1/2 Cup of Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

2 Cloves of Garlic

1 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (almost a full cup for the pesto mixture and leave some to top off the pesto).

Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients, except the olive oil in the food processor.  Pulse and chop the ingredients.   Gradually add the olive oil and pulse some more until smooth.

It should be bright green and ready to eat.  It will taste better if you wait and let the flavors marry, but who has that kind of discipline? Not I.

This yields more than we can consume in an evening and I usually store the rest in small canning jars – I keep one in the fridge and freeze the rest.  Remember that extra olive oil?  In order to keep the bright green color of the pesto, I always top it off with a bit of olive oil before putting away.  If the basil leaves oxide a bit. the pesto will still be good, but not as appetizing.  The extra olive oil keeps it tasting and looking delicious!

That was easy, wasn’t it?  Just break out the baguette and clean the plate.

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