Giada's Garden Pesto with Basil, Baby Spinach, Pine Nuts, and Parmesean

Pesto! Tell me that's not fun to say. Pesto! Look, I did it again! You should make this. Not only because it's fun to say, but also because it's fun to eat. And it tastes so good. It's good on noodles, it's good on sandwiches, it's good slathered over grilled chicken breasts, tossed into potato salad, blah blah blah. The options are endless. Also? It's easy. So please make today, because basil isn't always in season, but it sure is now!

This is a mish mash of two of Giada's recipes. I say it's a mishmash because I took one recipe off of one page, and a second recipe off another page... and I played mad scientist and made them into a singular outstanding fabulous recipe. I guess I'm just clever like that. Actually, I did it because I just bought two basil plants and I couldn't bear to harvest 2 cups from them on their first day home. I guess I'm sentimental like that.

Speaking of sentimental, baby! James! laughed! for! the! first! time! Now I understand why J. M. Barrie said that when the first baby laughed for the first time, it broke into a thousand little pieces and that's how faeries were born. Baby laughter is that precious.


Giada's Garden Pesto with Basil, Baby Spinach, Pine Nuts, and Parmesean

I used 1 cup of basil and 1 cup of spinach for this recipe, but you can use all of either if you want to. Both are great! (though my preference is for the basil). If you are going to put this on pasta, be sure to reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid to mix in with the pesto and the noodles. It helps the sauce stick to the noodles.


Ingredients
1 cup basil (packed)
1 cup baby spinach (packed)
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese
3/4 cup good virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

method



In a food processor, combine 1 cup (packed) basil leaves...




...with 1 cup (packed) baby spinach...




...2 garlic cloves...




...1/3 cup toasted pine nuts...




...and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.




Put the lid on your food processor...




... and pulse to combine, until everything is chopped up into little bits.




With the machine running, add 3/4 cup olive oil in a slow stream until mixture begins to emulsify and become liquid. Stop pouring at this point (they may be left over oil).



Enjoy!