TOASTED NUT AND PARSLEY PESTO
MAKES about 1½ cups, enough to sauce 1 pound of pasta
TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes
The pesto can be covered with a sheet of plastic wrap or a thin film of oil and refrigerated for up to three days.
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3 |
garlic cloves, unpeeled |
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1 |
cup walnuts, pecans, whole blanched almonds, skinned hazelnuts, unsalted pistachios, pine nuts, or any combination thereof, toasted |
|
7 |
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
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¼ |
cup packed fresh parsley leaves |
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¼ |
cup finely grated Parmesan cheese |
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|
Salt and pepper |
1. Toast garlic in 8-inch skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until fragrant and spotty brown, about 7 minutes; let cool slightly, then peel and chop.
2. Process toasted garlic, nuts, oil, parsley, and Parmesan in food processor until smooth, 30 to 60 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed. Transfer to bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. (Before tossing pesto with pasta, stir several tablespoons of reserved pasta cooking water into pesto to loosen its consistency.)