Pesto

I'm trying to attempt one new recipe every week (panko-crusted salmon last week and meatballs the week before that), and since my basil is going off like crazy, I decided to make some homemade pesto.

I followed this recipe that I found online.  I loved that it called for walnuts versus pine nuts.  Most traditional pestos use pine nuts, which are crazy expensive--especially on Maui.

{gathering the ingredients}

{a cup full of organic home grown Thai Basil}

{blending everything in the food processor until creamy and smooth}

{saving the pesto for lunch tomorrow}

Bryan and I met with friends for lunch already today, and we have dinner plans out for this evening, so we're going to have wait until tomorrow to dig in to the pesto.  I'm planning on making whole wheat angel hair pasta topped with pesto and a diced tomato.  I saved a sprig of basil from the food processor, so I can garnish our plates.

But, of course, I did take a taste, and I'm loving the creamy texture--and even better, it's way less oily than other pestos I've had.  The avocado creates an amazingly smooth texture to the pesto, and you can half the amount of oil that is typically used in most traditional pesto dishes.  Yum!