Garlic can be — to put it mildly — a little strong. There’s a reason that it’s used to ward off vampires.
And if you ask Caitlin, garlic seems to have a particular staying power with me. I can come home around 9:00, some eight hours after having eaten lunch, and Caitlin will come up to me, and draw back, before demanding, “What did you eat that had garlic in it?”
To avoid those moments of recoil, I suggest Garlic-Free Pesto!
garlic-free PESTO
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutes
YIELD: Serves 4
WHAT TO GRAB:
1/4 cup walnuts 1/4 cup pine nuts 4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
HOW YOU DO IT:
1. Toast the walnuts and pine nuts (toast at 350 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes). allow to cool slightly.
2. While the nuts are cooling, blanch the basil leaves in boiling water for 1 minute, and then remove to a cold water bath. Drain the basil leaves and dry as completely as possible.
3. Place the walnuts, pine nuts, basil, salt, pepper and cheese in a food processor and process for about 15 seconds. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube, and process until the pesto is pureed. Use immediately or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.
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