Fresh Pesto

My very food savvy, dare I say Chef friend Stacy Boe Miller taught me the simple, yet complex art of Pesto making. This recipe is Magnificent! I love it and I love her for helping me kick my cooking up a notch. Thank you.

Pesto

• 1 1/3 C fresh basil leaves, plus for garnish
• 2-4 garlic cloves (I use 2)
• 4 tbsp pine nuts ( some recipes call for much more)
• 1/2 c olive oil (I don't usually use quite this much)
• 1 1/3 freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 c freshly grated pecorino cheese (I only use Parmesan cuz I'm lazy. :)
  

1. Put the basil leaves, garlic, and pine nuts in a blender or food
processor.  Add 4 Tbs of olive oil. Blend until the ingredients are finely
chopped, then stop the machine.  Remove the lid and scrape down the
sides of the bowl.

2. Turn the machine on again and slowly pour the remaining oil in a
thin, steady stream through the feeder tube.  You may need to stop the
machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice to make sure
everything is evenly mixed.

3. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and beat in the cheeses with a
wooden spoon. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.

4. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.  Drain
it well then add it to the bowl of pesto.  Garnish with basil and
Parmesan.

Stacy's notes (Recipes really vary on this, but these are the main
ingredients.  I always reserve about 1/4 c of pasta water and add it to the
final product.  It helps the sauce and past blend better.)