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Pesto Sauce Without Nuts

Ingredients

  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2 cup basil leaves, firmly packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

In a food processor with steel blade installed (or a blender), while machine is running, drop in garlic and run until minced. Stop machine, scrape down sides and add basil leaves and salt. Run machine in on-off spurts until the leaves are more-or-less chopped. Scrape down sides. Then, with the machine running, slowly pour in oil until you have a smooth paste. Scrape down sides and add the cheese. Turn machine on and off a few times, just until combined. Makes about 1-3/4 cups. To freeze: line a cookie sheet with waxed paper and drop pesto in tablespoonfuls onto it. Put the cookie sheet in the freezer for several hours until the pesto is frozen, then peel the pesto blobs off the waxed paper and put them in a plastic bag for longer freezer storage. Frozen blobs can go directly into soups, stews or sauces. Let thaw and dilute with a little olive oil if you want pesto sauce for pasta. Note: An excellent salad dressing is two to three parts mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip) to one part pesto. Makes a great pasta salad. Pesto mixed with oil and vinegar makes a good marinade for shrimp. (That is, for shrimp which are cooked, marinated and then served cold. For shrimp to be served hot, I would cook them and then toss with pesto.)

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