Pesto in the Fall? Why not.

We’ve had massive amounts of basil growing in our backyard this year.  Pesto is something that we’ve been talking about making all summer, and finally tried it for the first time last night.  It was in the 70s, so it was perfect weather for something light and refreshing!

I used my mom’s recipe, which was very unscientific (we’re Italian). It ended up going something like this:

3 cups of basil
3/4 cup parsley
1/2 – 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 – 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1-3 cloves of garlic
Lemon Juice (not pictured) – optional

I’m including ranges for some ingredients because they greatly influence the flavor, and everyone has different preferences.  If you’re unsure of what you like, start small and add a little more at a time until it tastes good.

We’ve read recipes like this one that suggest blanching the basil to keep the pesto extra green.  We skipped it this time around, but may experiment next time.  We put it on pasta with sauteed spinach, onions and tomatoes – and have about a cup leftover for later!

Do you have a favorite pesto recipe?