Pesto is a sure sign of summer in Italy's Liguria region, where sweet basil grows in fragrant fields. Farther south, in Sicily, the locals add crushed red pepper and chopped tomatoes to their pesto. It's nice served with crusty bread or tossed with hot pasta and shrimp or poultry.
I love this pesto. It's my go-to recipe. Every time I make it, though, I think "why not one more clove of garlic? I love garlic." I always over-do it. Which is fine - we love garlic - but next time, I'll try to resist. I'm allergic to parmesan and other hard-aged white cheeses, so I use shredded Monterey jack cheese.
Agree with the other reviews. The best pesto ever. Used double the crushed red pepper for zip and a combination of Parmigiano-Reggiano and Asiago. The addition of the vine ripe tomatoes put this over the top. Next time will make my own linguine as this sauce was that good.
The best pesto I've ever had!!!
I love the way this pesto tastes, especially with the bit of spice. I do skip the tomatoes though. The main downside is that it's way too hard to only use 2 Tbsp per serving!
This pesto is fabulous. I made it exactly as the recipe suggests. I used it in the "mushroom pesto Pasta" recipe also found on this site. delicious!
Wow! This pesto is awesome. I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of leaving the tomatos out. It has GREAT flavor! So far I have used it in pasta, as a spread on a chicken sandwich, and as a sauce on the summer squash pizza. Using fresh garlic and toasting the pine nuts is a must to get the most flavor.
Made exactly as directed except added a bit more crushed red pepper for more heat - awesome! Toasting the pine nuts is a must for the smoky flavor.
