Instructions: Place the garlic and salt in a food processor and process until garlic is finely chopped. Add pine nuts and process until combined. Add cheese and process until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Add boiling water and process until smooth. (This tempers the raw taste of the garlic and creates a more mellow sauce.) Add basil leaves and process until combined, scraping down sides of bowl.

Variations: Toss pesto with cooked tortellini or gnocchi, without without cooked green peas. Toss pesto with spaghetti. Substitute pesto for salad dressing for hot potato salad.

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