Monday, August 29, 2011

Roasted Pecan Pesto

Right. 

So I've been missing here in the blogosphere for a month or so now.  Life got away from me.

My excuses will now commence...

I misplaced my camera. 
I spent days on end at the water park. 
My brother and his family moved into my house for the summer. 
I really didn't have a whole lot of extra blogging creative energy.
Blah. Blah. Blah.
And the big one is...I've been distracted with the pending arrival of my husband who's been in Iraq for the past year. 

Can. Not. Wait.


This recipe has been requested by my brother three times since he moved in.  I'm guessing he likes it.

Ordinarily, I make pesto with pine nuts.  However, pine nuts seem to be worth more than gold nowadays.  Pecans are a good backup, let me tell ya.  Roasting them ahead of time, brings out the 'nuttiness' as Rachel Ray would say. 


Today, we spread the pesto on cooked chicken breast, topped it with a bit of Parmesan and broiled it until the cheese was melted.  It's also delicious simply tossed with some cooked noodles.

Please forgive me for my absence lately.  I have the BEST cookie recipe to share with you soon to make up for it, I promise. 

Roasted Pecan Pesto

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Roast the pecans in a single layer in the oven at 400 degrees.  Stir them often to prevent browning.  Another option is to stick them in a frying pan over medium heat on the stove and toss them frequently until golden brown and fragrant.

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Easy cheesy.

Note: This freezes well