Pesto, Made w/ Walnuts

Pesto makes a delicious sauce for pasta or pizza, and a great spread to dress up sandwiches. Traditionally, pesto is made with pine nuts, but V & I prefer walnuts, which are far less expenive and make a creamier, sweeter pesto. For make-ahead convenience, freeze leftover pesto in ice cube trays, then store the frozen pesto-cubes in a zip-top bag in the freezer. You can take out and thaw one or two cubes as needed for weeks! Variations: Pesto Tomato Sauce; Roasted Pepper Pesto.

Ingredients

• 1 C fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 C walnuts
• 2 cloves garlic, or 2 tsp minced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
Place all ingredients in a mini-food processor or blender, and puree into a smooth and creamy sauce. If too thick, or won't combine smoothly, drizzle in additional olive oil. Keep in airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week, or freeze (also airtight, or your whole freezer will smell like pesto!) up to 6 months.