Basil Pesto

Ingredients
8 ounces fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 ounces pine nuts
2 cups olive oil
1 ¼ cups grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
After setting aside 1 ounce of basil leaves, blend the basil, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil in a blender until coarsely liquefied.
Add Parmesan cheese and blend at low speed for 10 seconds.
Add remaining basil and blend for 5 seconds more.
Pour into a serving container.
Refrigerate until serving cold over pasta.

NOTE: I use a Vitamix blender and blend only enough to combine the ingredients. Over-blending the Parmesan cheese seems to cause it to lump. Do not over-blend.
I add the 1 ounce of basil leaves at the end and blend only enough to chop the leaves.
Add additional Parmesan cheese to the mixture if you want a thicker mix, realizing that the mix will thicken somewhat anyway.

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