Basil Pesto by La Cucina di Natalina Italian Cooking School

La Cucina Di Natalina now has a cookbook: Bringing Home Made Back is loaded with traditional southern Italian recipes following the traditional and techniques of Nonna! Included you will receive 50 recipes offering classics like gnocchi and risotto, minestrone, zucchini flower fritters, and egg plant parmigiana to name a few! Enjoy this sample recipe for Basil Pesto, and pickup a copy of her book, and start Bringing Home Made Back!!

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Basil Pesto Recipe

Basil pesto is something I always have on hand. It freezes well so when we have an abundance of basil from our garden this is a great way to store it. When I don’t have fresh basil on hand for a tomato sauce it is a great substitute. My kids use it like a condiment on sandwiches.My favorite is grilled chicken, basil pesto and provolone cheese in a pressed Panini... Yum!

•          2 ½ cups packed fresh basil leaves (tender leaves only), washed and air-dried
•          ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
•          ¼ cup pine nuts
•          3 garlic cloves, minced
•          ¼ tsp. salt
•          ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
•          2 tbsp. grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Process all ingredients, except the cheeses, in a food processor. Stir in cheeses by hand. Store covered in fridge for up to 1 week. Makes about 1¼ cups of pesto. When using with pasta, be sure to save some of the pasta cooking water and mix in to get a velvety consistency. Makes enough for 1 pound of pasta. Yield: 4-6 Servings

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Natalina's Kitchen (Cook Book)

BRINGING HOMEMADE BACK

 Love Italian food but lack the know-how to make your homemade dreams a reality? Worry not - real Italian cooking tips from a real Italian Mamma are now yours to keep! Natalina Bombino Campagnolo of Natalina’s Kitchen has released Natalina’s Kitchen: Bringing Homemade Back, the story of homemade Italian food told through 50+ recipes developed with the traditions, techniques and love of generations of nonnas.

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