Homemade Pesto

Last Friday I bought a basil plant at Trader Joes and decided there was obviously no better way to utilize my new purchase than with homemade pesto. This delicious recipe yielded plenty of pesto for paninis with friends, and a creamy pesto shrimp pasta dish with leftovers that I'm still working on finishing.

Ingredients

• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese

Directions

Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor (I used the magic bullet)  and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper. If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.