Basil Pesto

  • 4 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves
  • 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
  • ¼ cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves
  • 1 small clove garlic
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Put the basil, pine nuts, parsley, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a food processor. With the machine on, slowly pour the olive oil into the feed tube and process, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed, until the mixture is very finely chopped and pasty. Season to taste with additional salt, if desired. Yields about 2/3 cup.