Generally my blogs have to do with questions of some importance, such as the Presidential election or the Iraq War or the environmental crisis.  But sometimes I just chill out and tell a funny story or give a recipe.  Today we have a recipe–pesto!

Most of my readers have probably already made pesto.  It’s cheap.  It’s tasty.  It’s easy.  But I had not, until yesterday.  I think I lacked confidence–surely I would find some way to screw it up, I felt.  I had no idea just how simple it is to make pesto.  So for those of you who have never tried, now is the season.  Here is your fool-proof recipe.  I got it from a friend who got it from a food writer named Marcella Hazen.

                                               PESTO

2 c. packed fresh basil

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil (get the good stuff–all olive oils are not equal)

2 T. pine nuts

2 cloves garlic

1 t. salt

Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor at high speed, then pour into a bowl.  Beat in 1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese and 2 T. freshly grated romano.  Beat in 3 T. butter, at room temperature. 

Cook the pasta as directed and turn it out into a large bowl.  Pour the pasta sauce over the pasta and mix well.  I lined the large round bowl of pasta with fresh, ripe tomatoes cut into eights.  It makes a pretty picture, and the flavor contrasts are excellent.  Have some more freshly grated parmesan cheese handy so that guests can sprinkle it on their pasta.

I would suggest some kind of pasta that the sauce will easily cling to.  This is where I fell down on the job: my pasta was too large–after it was cooked, it looked like overgrown spaghetti, and the sauce did not hold to it well.  Even so, the polite field of nine guests said they loved it, and several came back for seconds.

What could be easier than this?  If you’ve never made pesto previously, hesitate no more!