Basil Lemon Pesto

Time to dress that homemade pasta!

As part of the "Tour of Italy" classes I took we explored homemade pasta and fresh sauces.  You can find the recipe for the pasta here.  We made a wonderful egg pasta and cut it into fettuccine.  So fresh and tender it was amazing!
Today we are talking about pasta sauces.  These are sauces that are fresh, light, and flavorful.  One thing I've noticed is that you don't need to pile on the sauce over your pasta.  A dredging or a small amount goes along way.  You want to be able to taste the pasta, as well as the flavors of the sauce without drowning it.

This first sauce is a killer!  Bring on the flavors of summer with a light and lemony variation of a traditional pesto. (We are referring to the green sauce in the picture above) This version combines parsley and basil, along with lemon.  It is just excellent!  My favorite new sauce.  It's perfect over pasta, but you could also use it over chicken or fish. 

Remember it's all about freshness.  Simple fresh ingredients that take no time to put together.  I'll be bringing you another sauce shortly so stay tuned.   

Basil Lemon Pesto

Ingredients:

• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 Tbs. toasted pine nuts
• 1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a food processor, combine the garlic, pine nuts, basil, parsley, cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice. Pulse until ground to a fine paste, about 1 minute. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 cups.

Adapted from a recipe by Sandra Cook, Chef and Food Stylist.