A Pesto for the People

As long as you don’t have an important meeting to go to afterwards, who doesn’t like pesto?  This is the poor man’s pesto because I use some basil and a lot of parsley.  You can save a few bucks by using parsley as described below and it still tastes great.  However if you want to splurge, go for the real deal and use all basil.  I think the best thing about this dish is that you can probably get it on the table in about 15 minutes or less.  This dish even tastes great the next day straight out of the fridge, served cold.

– Farfalle noodles, 1 lb

– Basil, fresh, 3/4 oz.

– Parsley, fresh, 1 bunch, about 8 oz.

– Pine nuts, lightly toasted, 2 oz.

– Grated Parmesan, 2 – 3 oz.

– Garlic, 2 cloves

– Olive oil, about 1/2 a cup to 3/4

– Kosher Salt and Cracked Pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook your farfalle noodles al dente, about 8 minutes.  In a food processor, grate up your garlic and pine nuts.  Then add your basil and parsley and chop them up until no more large bits remain.  Next add in your cheese and a few good pinches of kosher salt.  Now with the food processor running, slowly pour in your olive oil so it incorporates all the ingredients together.  We are aiming for a thick and oozing consistency, not at all runny.  At this point your pasta should be ready.  Drain it and while the noodles are still piping hot, quickly mix together with your pesto.  The hot noodles will absorb the pesto sauce nicely and melt up the Parmesan cheese.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with a few sprinkles of whole pine nuts, and some freshly planed Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!