If Tim and I had our own version of engagement chicken, this homemade pesto would be it. I made it for him two summers ago, when we had been dating for about 6 months. He still raves about it. While he obviously didn’t propose right away, I have a hunch he might have been hooked after that – he rarely orders pasta at restaurants because he says he’s always disappointed when he does!

Somehow, we missed the pesto boat last summer, and it had been literally two years since I made it for him. When he asked for it this week, I stopped at Trader Joe’s for one of their giant basil plants that they carry this time of year, and pesto for dinner it was.

Pesto is one of the easiest sauces to make. It doesn’t require any cooking, and you really don’t need any special equipment (though a food processor makes quick work it).

{Get the recipe after the jump}

Basil Walnut Pesto
makes about 1/2 cup

The preparation of this sauce is simple – add a little, pulse a little, add a little more, repeat. There is room for flexibility, so don’t be afraid to adjust the ingredients to meet your taste. Also – go easy on the salt. Parmesan can be salty enough!

Ingredients:

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• about 3 cups loosely packed basil
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• a few tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method:

Place walnuts and garlic in food processor and pulse a few times. Add some of the basil, pulse again. Add some of the Parmesan, pulse again. Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil and repeat the process until you reach desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste, and serve over some good pasta.