Homemade Pesto...it's worth making it!

Sometimes it's cheaper (and easier!) to just buy something than it is to make it.  That's how I feel about pasta sauces, among other things.  But when I went to the farmer's market last week and saw a huge amount of fresh basil for only $2, homemade pesto was all that was on my mind.  I have always loved pesto, and can remember begging my mom for "green spaghetti" when I was a child.  So I looked at a few recipes online and finally settled on two recipes to follow, and then went to buy the ingredients.  Since you can buy a jar of pesto for about $4.50 at the grocery store, I wanted to keep my cost as low as possible.  All I needed to buy was fresh Parmesan cheese and pine nuts or walnuts.  I went with walnuts because they were way cheaper than the pine nuts, and I knew they would taste just as good.  And then I made pesto for the first time!  It was extremely easy to make (the 'hardest' part was getting the leaves off the stalk and washing them!) and turned out really well.  It was more expensive to make it at home, especially since my grocery store currently has it on sale for $1.99, but it was much more satisfying to say I made it myself.  And it was delicious!  I had it with linguine, but I plan on making pizza with it later on this week.  Here's the recipe I used if you would like to make your own 'green spaghetti':

Basil Pesto:

2 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves (packed), washed and dried
1/3 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, add the basil, nuts, and Parmesan cheese.  Pulse until well chopped, add the garlic.  While the processor is on a low setting, slowly pour in 1/3 cup of olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.  Pour pesto into a jar and top with remaining olive oil.  Keep in fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for later use.

I divided the pesto into 4 small containers, so I could freeze some and keep some out.  Don't worry if the top of the pesto turns dark brown or black, it's just the air's effect on the basil, the olive oil on top should keep it greener.  Enjoy!