Yummy Basil Almond Pesto

One of my favorite things to cook with is pesto. It is so full of flavor that it can be added it to almost anything for a delicious meal. I make a large batch because it stores well in the fridge for atleast a week. After that, I will freeze whatever is left in ice cube trays, so it is easy to defrost a small amount.
A few things we add pesto to:

• Pasta - Hot like spaghetti or cold like pasta salad
• Burgers
• Mayo to make a sandwich spread.
• Bread
• Eggs
• Soup

Ingredients:

•  8 Cups of loosely packed fresh basil
• 1 Cup of Almonds
• 2 of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Head of Garlic, Peeled
• 2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 1/2 Cup of Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice

1.  Preheat over to 400 degrees. Lay almonds out on a cookie sheet, and toast for  10 minutes. These burn easy, so be careful

2. Combine basil and garlic in food processor. Turn on medium high to make room to add the nuts.

3. Let nuts cool, so that they don't melt the cheese.

4.  Combine all ingredients besides the Evoo. Turn on medium. Begin to drizzle Evoo in the top of the food processor, while on.  Blend for awhile to make sure everything is well mixed.

5. Store in container in fridge


Pesto is normally made with pine nuts, but I've always made it with almonds or walnuts.  Not only do I prefer the taste, they are also cheaper