GONI'S BASIL PESTO

Ingredients

• 2 cups basil leaves, stems removed
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 cup Monini DOP Umbria Extra Virgin Olive Oil [2]
• 1/4 cup aged DOP Parmigiano-Reggiano [3], grated
• 1 teaspoon Ravida Sea Salt [4]
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (optional)

Put basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until ingredients are very finely chopped. Add 1/4 cup olive oil in a slow stream and pulse until ingredients form a paste. Add rest of olive oil and pulse until mixture forms a thick sauce. If needed, add a few more tablespoons of olive oil, one at a time, to thin the sauce. Add the cheese, salt, and pepper, if desired, and pulse to combine. Pesto will sauce about 3/4 of a pound of pasta, or can be used as a sauce for fish, chicken, or veal. It can also be frozen. Be sure the container lid has a tight-fitting seal, and keep in coldest part of the freezer for up to several months.