Easy Pesto

I still remember the first time I ever had pesto. It was in college at the Grill in our Student Union. They made a fabulous chicken pesto wrap that was simply chicken, rice, pesto, and cheddar cheese all on a spinach tortilla. It was delicious and I make it fairly often in our home.

Until I got a recipe for pesto, I always bought the pre-made kind from the store. But after seeing how few ingredients go into it and how easy it is, I love making my own. It's just a handful of ingredients all thrown together into a food processor and ready in 3 minutes. You can make a small batch for wraps or pour it over a baked potato, or make a bigger batch to go on pastas. The other night I poured it over linguine and threw in some grilled chicken for a quick, easy meal. Can't go wrong with pesto!



Pesto

2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic

1. Place all ingredients in blender or food processor. Cover and blend on medium speed about 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape sides, until smooth.

2. Use pesto immediately, or cover tightly and refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 1 month.

Makes about 1 and 1/4 cups.