Basil Pecan Pesto

Pesto is one of those things that is super easy to make, but you just never do it. At least that what was for me until one evening my husband went to the grocery store to pick up couple of little things, and I asked him to get me basil. And I meant just a little package, to have with my tomatoes and fresh buffalo mozzarella. He comes home with this super huge box of basil leaves... almost like the industrial size! I didn't want to waste it, so I decided to make pesto. The only nuts I had in my pantry were pecans, and I decided to use them. They gave my pesto slightly different nutty flavor, and added more richness. I liked it a lot, and made it couple more times since...
I have basil growing on my roof top deck in pretty good quantities, it's so nice to just go upstairs and pick some fresh basil whenever you need it!



So, into the food processor goes: bunch of fresh basil, garlic cloves, pecans, and cubed Parmesan cheese and some olive oil. {I do not have exact proportions for this recipe. I just kept tasting it to make sure that the taste is right.} Pulse together several times to get the ingredients pureed, adding more olive oil as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.



Toss some cooked warm pasta with it, or use it as a marinate for chicken or pork. Also great as a spread on the sandwich with tomato and fresh mozzarella... Super easy to make, holds in the fridge in a jar for 3-4 days. Substitute pecans for walnuts or other nuts...