Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   4      cups          fresh basil leaves -- (tightly packed)
     1/2  cup           olive oil
   2                    garlic cloves -- peeled and crushed
   6      sprigs        parsley leaves
                        salt -- to taste
                        freshly-ground black pepper -- to taste
     1/4  cup           pine nuts -- walnuts or almonds
     1/2  cup           freshly-grated parmesan or Romano cheese

Preparation:

Place the basil in a food blender (don't try this with dried basil; it won't work). Add the oil, garlic, parsley and salt and pepper. Blend until all are chopped very fine. Add the nuts and chop a bit more. Remove from the blender and stir in the grated cheese. This recipe makes about 2 cups of sauce. Comments: This lovely green sauce comes from Genoa in northern Italy. I can no longer think of running my kitchen without this condiment. If you have some in your refrigerator you will begin to use it to bolster good vegetable soups, flavor garlic toast, add depth to salad dressings and, of course, to add to pasta. This recipe is for fresh sauce, but if you want to freeze basil for the wintertime simply chop the leaves in a food blender with enough peanut oil (not olive oil) just to make a paste. Freeze in heavy plastic bags or cartons and use the paste to prepare this recipe during the winter. You will not have to add as much olive oil because of the peanut oil you used to preserve the basi