Pesto

This pesto is from my favorite food blogger, alexandracooks.com. Her recipes are always good and often taste like you are eating your meal at a restaurant. They are also simple and practical and she often has substitution options, which is perfect for me. I was growing tired of the same old thing for dinner and since it is summer, I noticed the basil is plentiful! We don’t have a garden for the first time in over 10 years (so sad, but the kids are in their busy season of life so we figure we will pick it up again when life slows down), but I was able to get some delicious basil anyway. I only made a small batch because I didn’t buy enough basil so next time, I will be sure to get more.

Pesto

Ingredients

• 4 cups loosely packed basil
• 4 cloves garlic or 2 heaping teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon course sea salt
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup crispy almonds, or roasted pine nuts or walnuts
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Place basil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, parmesan, crispy almonds (or nut of choice) in a food processor.

Pulse or blend until mixture is chopped and mixed well.

Add olive oil and blend until mixture is desired consistency.

Taste and add salt, olive oil or lemon juice if needed.

Use in this delicious pesto shrimp pasta or store for later use in the refrigerator or freezer.

Enjoy!