Pesto Sauce

I was a junior in high school when I got my first job. I was a line cook at a little hole-in-the-wall pizzeria. The entire restaurant was no bigger than my current living room, I had to work 10 hour shifts in the summer standing next to a 475 degree industrial oven, the restaurant only had one door and no windows (which I'm pretty sure breaks a few fire code laws), and even on my days off I still couldn't get the smell of pizza out of my hair. But it paid me enough to have gas for my beater car, and I could have as much free pizza as I wanted during my shift. So, as a hungry freedom-seeking teenager, it was the best job in the world.

As part of my job as a line cook, it was my responsibility to make extra sauces and restock all the toppings in between the lunch and dinner rush. I made every pizza sauce known to man: classic marinara, spicy red sauce, garlic herb, creamy Alfredo, BBQ sauce, and of course pesto sauce. Out of all the sauces, I absolutely loved making pesto sauce the most. My hands would become saturated in the intoxicating aroma of fresh basil leaves, causing me to, rather awkwardly, sniff my hands throughout the day followed by a deep sigh of relaxation. (Whatever! I was a teenager. I already confused and scared people. Why not tack on "creepy hand-sniffer" to my title as weird teenager?) The best part about pesto was, not only did it make a unique pizza sauce, but it blended beautifully with our garlic cream sauce as well (great for pasta or pizza). It was amazing on toasted sub sandwiches, and it elevated something as simple as a grilled cheese sandwich. It could be baked on chicken or salmon, and, when mixed with mayonnaise, it was fantastic on cold sandwiches and wraps. You could also mix some pesto in with some ranch dressing to make for one epic salad. (Cobb salads are amazing with pesto ranch, just so you know. ^_^)

To this day, after harvesting basil from my garden, I can still be found sniffing my hands as I whip up a big batch of pesto. If you give this recipe a try, you should also know that pesto freezes really well. You can use freezer bags that have been vacuum sealed. Or, you can also pour the pesto into an ice cube tray, freeze the pesto until it sets, and then dump the pesto cubes into a larger freezer bag. That way, when you need some pesto for a recipe, you can simply thaw out a couple cubes at a time rather than having to defrost an entire bag.

Pesto
Ingredients:
3 cups basil leaves
4 cloves garlic, chopped
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups pine nuts or walnuts
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Process basil, garlic, and nuts together in a food processor fitted with a steel blade or in a blender until finely chopped. With machine running, pour in the oil in a thin, steady stream. Add the cheese and salt. Process briefly to combine. Remove to a bowl and cover until ready to use.

Refrigerate leftovers. Keeps for two weeks.

*Optional variation: substitute basil with fresh sage leaves.
**Sage pesto has a rich flavor that goes beautifully with poultry. Mix it in with scrambled eggs and Swiss cheese, or spread it on top of raw chicken breasts before baking in the oven.

My son was quite impressed with our basil harvest!