If you love Italian food, you have to love the magic sauce that can take even the most mundane pasta to the level of a sublime dish. Every Italian family has their own secret recipe of Pesto, which is been passed on from generation to another as a legacy. The one rule for making this magic green sauce is that there are no rules, use your creative skills to prepare a batch with ingredients of your choice like – instead of Parmesan you can try Dry Monterey Jack or Cheddar, when it comes to nuts you can pick from pine nuts to pistachios to walnuts or hazelnuts.

Ingredients:

250 Gm. Fresh Basil Leaves
½ Cup Parmesan, grated or cubed
¼ Cup Walnuts
2 – 3 garlic cloves crushed
Salt, as per taste
2 Tsp. Peppercorns
¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions:

Rinse and dry the basil leaves by spreading in a kitchen towel.
Heat a frying pan on medium heat; add in the walnuts and dry roast them stirring frequently till they are golden. Transfer the roasted walnuts to a cool container immediately (or they will keep roasted on the hot frying pan).
Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth paste is formed.
Store in a clean and dry jar in fridge or it can be used immediately also.