Basil Artichoke Pesto

Ingredients:
12 oz frozen, thawed artichoke hearts
3 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
2 oz fresh basil
.5 oz fresh Italian parsley
1 oz pinenuts, toasted
3 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic
salt
pepper


to serve: 1 lb hot pasta


Directions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender, pulse until almost smooth. Stir into hot pasta.

My thoughts:

I love making pesto in the warmer weather because it good on hot or cold pasta, comes together quickly and requires no cooking. However, buying enough fresh basil for pesto at times costs small fortune and I get tired making the same thing over and over again. Enter the frozen artichoke. It adds a great texture and flavor to the pesto and you only need a drop of basil to make a delicious sauce. A great twist on an old favorite.