Serves 4

• 1 bunch of fresh basil (~1 ounce), stems removed

• 1 ounce (28-30 grams) pine nuts

• Salt and pepper

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 ¾ ounces (50 grams) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

• 1 pound spaghetti, for serving

• 2 tablespoons noodle water, more if having more than one serving

1. Clean the basil and place them with the pine nuts, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese into a mixing bowl.

2. Using an immersion blender, mix all of the ingredients together until smooth.

3. If you’re eating the pesto with spaghetti, fill a large pot with water and salt and bring to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook according to packaging.

4. Before draining the noodles, reserve at least 2 tablespoons of the noodle water into a separate bowl. Reserve more noodle water if you plan on having multiple servings. This noodle water contains starches from the noodles and will make the pesto sauce creamier.

5. For one serving, on a plate, mix 1 tablespoon of noodle water with 2 tablespoons pesto. This should create a creamy pesto sauce. Add more water if you want the sauce creamier, add more pesto if you want a thicker sauce.

6. Mix noodles into the mix and combine.

7. Alternatively, another great use for the pesto is making a pesto pizza! Put a layer of pesto on the bottom of your pre-baked pizza dough and add your favorite toppings such as: tomatoes, grilled chicken, sausage, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, red onions.

8. Enjoy!