Recipe: Basil Garlic Pesto

Nothing beats a fresh pesto specially when its homemade. Not only it is cheaper, but you get to use the finest ingredients that you can afford. I usually get my sweet basil at the farmer's market because its freshly picked and more flavourful than the ones packed inside the grocery.

This is your usual basic pesto using garlic, fresh sweet basil, olive oil and salt. You may add pine nuts and use other recipe variations that you like. I roast my garlic beforehand to remove the bitter taste and make the flavour more intense. Perfect on toast, pasta and the recipes that calls for homemade pesto.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 whole bulb garlic
• A drizzle of olive oil
• A small piece of aluminum foil just big enough to cover the whole garlic
• Handful of pine nuts or almond nuts, ground. 
• 250 grams sweet basil, washed and spin-dried well
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• Parmesan cheese

Procedure:

1. Slice the top of the whole garlic just enough to expose the flesh inside. 
2. Place on top of the aluminium foil and drizzle olive oil over it. Cover tightly.
3. Broil under a stove-top flame for about two minutes, just enough to heat it. Careful not to char the garlic.
4. Let it cool and open the foil. Squeeze the garlic to remove the flesh. It will be easy like squeezing toothpaste out of a tube. Set aside.
5. Place the basil, roasted garlic and a quarter of a cup of extrra virgin olive oil in a food processor.
6. Process on pulse while adding more olive oil and a pinch of salt until it reaches to your desired consistency.
7. The pesto should be fine and spreadable with a small amount of olive oil floating on top.