Back to Basics 4 - Basil Pesto

Ingredients
-2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
-1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
-3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
-1/2 cup freshly grated Parmegiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese
-Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
-Combine the basil with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. Add the garlic, pulse a few times more. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
-Add this to pasta, sandwiches, omelettes. This one cup can go a long way if you know how much to add to your food. Pesto is a high calorie food but you don't need a lot of it to do the trick. If you are adding it to pasta, thin it out with some pasta water. If you are spreading it on sandwich, make sure you do a thin layer. It's all about moderation.

Serving Size: 1 cup
Nutritional Info: About 1,451 calories, 155g fat, 27g saturated fat, 80g monounsaturated fat, 0g trans fat, 40mg cholesterol, 960mg sodium, 10g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 25g protein