Makes 4 servings

This aromatic sauce gives meals an authentic Italian flavor. It’s delicious as a dip or topping for any raw or cooked entrée. If you eat cooked food, try the sauce over whole grain pasta. My pesto used slightly less oil than traditional recipes; increase the oil for a richer sauce.

Zucchini Pasta with Pesto

2 cups basil leaves (stems removed), tightly packed

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon crushed garlic (2 cloves)

1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup raw pine nuts

Place the basil, olive oil, garlic and salt in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until the basil is chopped. Add the pine nuts and process until smooth. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Do not over-process; you should still see flecks of pine nuts throughout. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, Pesto will keep for five days.