Ingredients:
Basil, about four cups loose
Garlic, four cloves
Hot pepper to taste
1/3 cup olive oil or enough to blend mixture into a loose paste
Pine nuts--to taste
2 tbls. butter
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 grated cheese
1 Lb. spaghetti cooked al dente
For quick recipe, put all ingredients (except pine nuts) in a blender and blend until smooth.
Add a splash of cool pasta water or oil if too thick.
Reserve about a 1/2 cup and stir remaining pesto into pasta pot with the drained pasta and mix evenly.
Plate pasta and add a Tbs. or so of reserved pesto on top of each serving. Serves 4 or 5.
**For "toasty" pine nuts, lightly brown in hot skillet for a few minutes before serving.
**For less garlic "bite" breifly saute garlic in olive oil and then cool before adding to blender.
