When someone hears the word “pesto,” they usually think of basil pesto. While basil pesto is perhaps the most popular variation of the sauce, the term pesto is actually a generic term referring to anything made by pounding (think pounding using a mortar and pestle, not pounding to make babies or something else stemming from wherever your dirty mind is going).
Tonight I’m making pesto to serve as part of the filling for my chicken roulade. I use the following ingredients – fresh basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and if needed, some lemon juice.
Since it’s January, basil isn’t exactly all over the place, but you can still find fresh. I lucked out this afternoon and found it for $1.99 a bunch at the International Foods Warehouse at National Wholesale Liquidators in Lodi.
The slideshow below walks you through the steps to make the sauce.
The Accidental Chef 