I never remember to eat lunch. I have a reminder on my phone to eat my lunch, and I usually hit the “snooze” button until I’m just about to pass out from low blood sugar. The Hangries are a Real Thing, people, and I have scared children with mine. I wish I was joking. (Sorry, kid.) It’s IRONIC in the actual sense of the word, that I spend whole days laboring over food that will never touch my mouth. That I make entire racks of lamb and tubfuls of cheesey grits and bubbling bowls of beef stew while eating really cheap peanut butter from a spoon, if I remember to do it. However, today is not that day.
I looooo-oooo-ooove basil. Not even a little too much. When it’s whizzed up with some nuts, cheese and garlic, plus a bit of loooo-oooo-ooovely olive oil, I will put that sh*t on everything. And today, I had extra. So I ate it with some pasta, beans and pickled peppers AND MY GOD NO ONE WILL BE STRANGLED TODAY AND IT’S a CHRISTMAS MIRACLE.
Here’s the recipe. I use cashews because have you seen the price of pine nuts? Ridic. Anyway, go ahead and use em if you have money to set on fire or sub some pistachios or walnuts or almonds or whatever you have.
- 1 oz. sweet basil, trimmed of stems
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3/4 to 1 cup toasted cashews or other nut
- 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-reggiano
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- about 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
makes about 1-1/2 cups
In a food processor, pulse the basil, garlic, cashews and cheese together until the nuts are in very small granules, about the size of a grain of rice. Scrape down the sides. Add the juice and pulse again. Then, with the processor on, stream half of the olive oil into the mix. Turn the mixture out into a 4 cup bowl and add more oil, stirring well, until pesto is a bit loose. Season as you like with salt and pepper. Store covered in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.