Is there anything better than the smell of freshly picked basil? We think not. Growing up, our parents had a large garden in the backyard, where they’d grow, amongst other things, fresh herbs such as chives, dill, rosemary, thyme, and of course, basil. Here in New York City, we attempted our own herb garden with a little window bed. Suffice it to say, a window with natural sunlight does not a garden make. Alas, we gave up, and took to buying our basil at Fairway – but we’ve preserved one element of home: we still make our own pesto from scratch. In fact, why anyone would buy store-bought pesto when it’s so very easy to make your own is beyond us. We make ours with basil (duh), plus a large handful of walnuts, about a cup of freshly grated parmesan, a few swirls of olive oil, a couple cloves of garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Throw it all in the food processor, pulse a few times, and voila – an easy meal! We like to make a big batch, which we then freeze in little baggies for easy dinners on the nights we get home late and can’t stand to cook.
It’s no surprise, then, given our love for pesto, that we couldn’t wait to make this recipe when we saw it on Pinterest. We’ve tossed our pesto pasta with lots of things, but we’ve never thought of throwing a fried egg on top for protein. Color us impressed! Add in the bonus of sundried tomatoes (so yummy), and we’re sold. If you need us, we’ll be busy stuffing our faces with this pasta recipe, and working our way through season 1 of Orange is the New Black.