New Italian Recipes Presents:
Homemade (authentic) Pesto Sauce
Ingredients:
Large bunch of ultra-fresh basil(1 cup after finely mincing)
1 large garlic clove, very finely sliced and then minced (You can use more than
this, but a little bit of raw garlic goes a long way!
˝ cup very finely diced sun-dried tomatoes, preferably oil packed
2 t raw sugar (turbinado)
˝ cup pine nuts, preferably roasted and finely chopped or ground.
1/3 cup finely diced or grated Parmigiano-reggiano or pecorino Romano cheese
Enough very good extra virgin olive oil to produce desired consistency. (I have
never measured the olive oil, I just go by feel. I would say around 1/3 cup,
though. The better the olive oil and the quality of your basil, the better the
pesto.)
Preparation
As stated above, mix everything in a wooden bowl if you are adding to warm,
cooked pasta.
I’ll let you in on a tip: You will not believe how good this pesto is on grilled chicken or fish. It is so versatile, you will no doubt come up with numerous dishes to grace with this almost “holy” mixture.
Note: If you prepare your chicken or fish in a Showtime Barbeque And Rotisserie as we often do, you'll have even better flavor. The natural self-basting of the rotisserie cooking method produces ultra-moist and flavorful meat.
Variations that are really great are many: Substitute finely chopped walnuts, hazel nuts or pecans for the pine nuts. It is really good with pistachios!
How about cilantro for the basil, or Italian Parsley, or a mixture. Throw in some fresh thyme or oregano along with some chives.