I had fresh basil that I had to use today so I’m thinking either basil oil or pesto…..I didn’t have many pine nuts or walnuts or hazelnuts today so I went with pistachios. I usually do one thing that most people don’t do that really makes a difference. I use a small amount of garlic but usually it’s whipped sweet roasted garlic. It never gets too strong tasting and is sweet and delicious. To make whipped sweet roasted garlic use a lot of garlic cloves. Pour a good amount of extra virgin olive oil on them. Put them in a covered pan at 350 or 375 degrees F for one hour and then blend.

It keeps for a while in the refrigerator but I freeze it since I make it in big batches. Back to the pesto….I didn’t measure exactly but it went something like this.

1 cup fresh basil leaves

4 oz parmesan rough chop

1/2 cup pistachios

1 tablespoon whipped sweet garlic

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 dried Calabrian piri piri dried pepper – crushed (you can substitute any pepper to taste)

Blend…This time I left the pesto slightly chunky so you can taste everything in it a little more.

I do note that this stays for a while but is best to use in a few days…..after a week or so the oil gets very thick and the basil has less fragrance. You can brighten it back up with a little more fresh basil and a little more olive oil.