Mama mia! It's pesto night!

If you've never tried pesto sauce, you are seriously missing out. I've only had the pleasure of eating that sumptuous stuff a few times but I am hooked. What's pesto? Minty basil, garlic, olive oil, and rich Parmesan cheese join forces to create a hearty, versatile sauce fit for the pickiest eater. My mom - I love you! - treated us to homemade pesto over pasta tonight. If my tummy were a kitten, it would be purring.

Here's her recipe (she replaced the fresh ingredients with dried herbs and Parmesan):

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and thoroughly dried
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1-2 cloves minced garlic

If you use dry ingredients, you can just mix everything together and go, but fresh ingredients will need a little more preparation - everything has to be chopped or grated. Or you could just throw everything in a food processor. Pesto can be refrigerated for up to a week (although it probably won't last that long :) ) or you can freeze it.

To make pasta with pesto, grab 4 cups of cooked and drained spaghetti or fettucini noodles. Take 6 tablespoons of the basic pesto sauce listed above and toss in 4 tablespoons of butter or margarine. Add one cup of Parmesan cheese to the mixture and toss with the noodles. Makes 4-6 servings or 2 servings for hungry rabbit breeders. ;-)