*Recipe* The Best Basil Pesto

For years, I have been buying the big jars of Pesto From Costco, for about $8.  This is actually the best that I have found, and it is delicious, and so good on chicken, salads and other dishes. But, I had a huge amount of Basil on my basil plants and everything is better fresh and homemade right?  In this case, yes, the pesto is soooo good, and really easy to make.  The only downfall is, you really need a lot of Basil to make it.  Now I'm craving more and I will have to go buy some fresh basil to make it!

Ingredients

• 4oz Pine Nuts 
• 4 cups fresh basil (I did some research, only use the leaves and soft stems, not the flowers and hard stems)

my basil plants before I hacked them up

• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese (I used a mix of fresh and the kid from the jar, but I don't think it matters)
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions 

• Add the pine nuts to a small skillet over medium heat and toast until golden brown, 2-3 minutes.
• In the bowl of a food processor, add half the pine nuts, 3 cups basil, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup cheese, and lemon zest. Process the ingredients for about 30 seconds, or until they are finely chopped.
• While it is still running, on slow speed, slowly drizzle in 3/4 cup olive oil and continue processing until a smooth paste begins to form. Stop and scrape down the sides. 
• Add the remaining pine nuts, basil, garlic and cheese. Pulse until it is finely chopped.  You want to still have some chunks in it! 
• Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• The pesto is best fresh but can be stored in the fridge for 5 days. 

Thanks to thesuburbansoapbox.com for the recipe