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Pesto

Servings 1 recipe

Equipment

  • Food processor

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup Romano or Parmesan cheese Parmesan cheese is traditional. Romano adds bite. Other hard cheeses can be substituted as necessary.
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • ½ cup cashews (roasted and salted, or raw) Pesto traditionally is made with pine nuts, which have become quite expensive. We substitute cashews but others suggest walnuts, pistachios, and probably just about any nut available.
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • 3 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves Pesto traditionally is made with basil leaves other greens can work as well. You can use spinach leaves, carrot tops, and other greens, with or without basil leaves, in whatever combinations and proportions you like.
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil You may choose to increase or reduce the amount of olive oil you use, depending on how dry or wet you like you pesto as well as what greens you use. Carrot tops, for example, seem to need more oil.

Instructions

  • Grate cheese in food processor, using disc with larger holes.
  • Remove disc from food processor and replace with standard blade.
  • Add garlic, nuts, salt, greens, and olive oil to food processor.
  • Blend until smooth, scraping down sides if necessary.

Notes

To freeze, combine all ingredients but cheese and place in 1-quart freezer bags.
Adapted from Julie Jordan's Cabbagetown Café Cookbook.