HOMEMADE PESTORecipe from Cooks Illustrated People avoid making pesto, I think, because of the

HOMEMADE PESTO
Recipe from Cooks Illustrated

People avoid making pesto, I think, because of the price of pine nuts. But walnuts provide almost the exact same taste, at a fraction of the cost. Plus, this recipe only calls for ¼ cup of nuts, so that averages to less than a $1. And yes, this recipe does have mayonnaise, which might freak you out until I remind you that mayonnaise is one of the top five ingredients ever created. 

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup walnuts or pine nuts 
• 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled salt
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1 oz (1 cup) baby spinach
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 Tb lemon juice
• 1½ oz Parmesan cheese, grated fine (¾ cup)
• 6 Tb mayonnaise

Directions:

• Bring 1 cup of water to boil in pot.
• Toast walnuts in dry skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until just golden and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. 
• When water is boiling, add garlic and let cook 1 minute. Remove garlic with slotted spoon and rinse under cold water to stop cooking; set aside and let cool.
• When garlic is cool, peel and mince or press through garlic press. Place walnuts, garlic, basil, spinach, pepper, lemon juice, oil, and 1 tsp salt in bowl of food processor and process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl as necessary.
• Add cheese and mayonnaise and process until thoroughly combined. Transfer mixture to large serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.