Walking in the door after 5:30 with nothing planned for dinner always puts me into a slight panic. Sometimes, just sometimes, I surprise myself and whip up a good dinner, unplanned.
I have been watering my basil in the herb garden box and almost forgot the reason I HAVE the herbs! So, I clipped a handful of leaves, searched for a few "easy pesto recipes" and came up with this.
(I don't pretend to be a good cook, and I don't have the patience for a lot of measuring so I often just improvise and cross my fingers).
Recently made Pesto again and varied the recipe.
*About a handful and a half of basil (big stems removed)
*1/2 cup olive oil (divided)
*Juice from half lemon
*Half a clove of garlic (1-2 cloves)
*1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
*Couple shakes of nutmeg
*A little salt
*Couple shakes of black pepper
*1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I actually used 1/2 but that was too much, 1/4 cup will be perfect)
Walnuts made the pesto thicker and more flavorful!
I dumped all of the above except for 1/4 cup olive oil into my blender (my food processor is still sitting nicely wrapped in the crate & barrel box from my wedding 6 yrs ago...otherwise, i would use that). And I topped it off with the rest of the olive oil (I read on one site that this helps weight the leaves down and pushes them into the blender blades).
Meanwhile, I boiled pasta, washed lettuce and chopped walnuts.
Dinner was Pesto with whole wheat rotini and a mixed greens salad with goat cheese and walnuts. Dressing was olive oil, white balsamic vinegar and a little lemon juice.
Dessert: Pineapple Coconut ice cream topped with fresh blueberries.
Kids has seconds. Husband asked if it was his birthday. Mission accomplished.
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