Pesto is basically a puree of fresh basil, olive oil, parsley, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, fresh garlic, and salt. Basically the best thing ever. I would post a recipe, but I made it for a Christmas party. Which means I had about 15 minutes to work with, not enough basil (because fresh basil in the winter isn't cheap, but I am), and at the last minute found out that the family food processor had been thrown out because of a malfunction. Perfect.
Amidst the frantic rushing around, I found a great recipe... with all measurements in ounces. Great! Let's get out our scale and meticulously measure pine nuts. Like that was going to happen. So I ended up throwing all my basil, a handful of parsley, a few garlic cloves, and the olive oil in the blender. I found some kosher salt and threw that in there too, along with some 'real' Parmesan cheese (not out of the green can). It didn't work great, but still got the job done and I ended up with a great-tasting pesto.
P.S. I got the cool black ceramic plate at the Dollar General for $1. I think it makes my food look 100% better and a whole lot more expensive. What I really want for my photos is a square plate. That would make my food five-star, for sure.
Have you tried making pesto with cilantro? It has a stronger, sharper flavor than basil pesto, but still very delicious! Pesto also freezes well stored in resealable plastic containers or small canning jars with plastic lids. Pesto, crackers and cheese makes a delicious winter snack. :)
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