Macadamia Parmesan Pesto
Macadamia nut and basil pesto, perfect for tossing with pasta.
Servings: 1 cups pesto
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch basil, leaves only about 2 cups loosely packed
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup macadamia nuts
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- On a large cutting board, chop the macadamia nuts with the garlic, scraping and chopping until fine.
- Add half of the parmesan and mix in, chopping. When mixed in, add the remaining parmesan and mix/chop.
- Add 1/3 of the basil leaves, chopping. Once loosely chopped, add more basil and chop, continuing to scrape, gather and chop until the basil and everything else is a very fine mince.
- Move everything to a small bowl and drizzle and cover with olive oil. To store in the fridge, make sure the pesto is covered with olive oil and tightly wrap with plastic wrap with the wrap making contact with the oil.
Notes
To serve with pasta:
Cook the pasta according to the instructions. Save 1 cup pasta water and drain well.
Toss the hot pasta with a generous amount of pesto and loosen with reserved pasta water, adding it tablespoon by tablespoon as needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Enjoy immediately, topped with roasted tomatoes, if desired.
Note: To roast the tomatoes, toss tomatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in a 400°F oven for 15-20 minutes, stirring once, until softened and starting to burst.