Pesto with a Kick

Ingredients

1 cup pine nuts
4 cups loosely packed basil leaves
6-8 gloves of garlic
2/3 cup red onion, minced
1 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350º. Spread pine nuts on a baking sheet and roast for 5 minutes. Stir and return to oven for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
2. Run the garlic through the grinder, set aside in a large bowl.
3. Run the pine nuts through your grinder and add them to the garlic.
4. Add the onions and olive oil to the garlic and pine nut mixture, blend with the stick blender.
5. A handful at a time, add the basil leaves to the mixture and run through the stick blender until you have pureed all of the leaves.

Tips

1. Enjoy on toasted bread or tossed with pasta. Can be frozen for up to 6 months.
2. I do not use a food processor for this, but rather an older smaller coffee grinder and a stick blender.
3. If you want a chunkier pesto, simply mince the garlic and grind the pine nuts with a mortar and pestle.