Basil Pesto

This comes from Everyday Food. I'd never made pesto sauce before, but when I had a huge wad of basil left over from another dish, I thought what the hell? Turns out, it is so delicious and takes four minutes to whip up. I added some roast tomatoes to the pasta I cooked for a lighter flavor.

Makes 1 3/4 cups

1 cup walnuts or pine nuts (I used pine nuts)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves (4 ounces)
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350°. Spread nuts evenly on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until golden and fragrant, tossing once, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

Meanwhile, bring 4 cups salted water to a boil; add basil, and submerge with a spoon. Immediately drain in a colander. Rinse with cold water until cool, then pat basil completely dry in paper towels.

In a food processor, combine nuts, basil, and garlic; season generously with salt and pepper. Process until nuts are finely chopped. With machine running, pour oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until smooth. Use immediately, or freeze. (I thought 2/3 cup olive oil made the dish a little too oily. I'd start at 1/2 cup and add more if needed.)

Grade: A