Mmm! All about Basil Pesto

i had pesto for dinner last night. my friend told me this. OMG!!!! it was pretty freaking good! Put this basil pesto on penne with sauteed chicken seasoned with rosemary and a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. here's its recipe from http://simplyrecipes.com/

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Makes 1 cup.
Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

Too bad is basil and other herbs, spices, good olive oil, seasonings and stuff here are awfully expensive. Though Western food's been getting a part of home meals in Japan, and yet imported ingredients aren't reasonable price at all.
When I went to the grocery store to get fresh basil, it was shocking that I had to buy so many bunches of it to make a small amount of basil pesto.
oh well though 'cause I don't make this that often. Wish Western food become more close to Japanese homemade meals at home and importing ingredients from Western counties got more frequent.