Hello Columbus!

On this day in 1492, Genoa native Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue and bumped into what is today, the Dominican Republic. In addition to "discovering America," Columbus introduced garlic to the Americas. To say thank you, prepare this recipe for traditional Pesto Genovese. Mangia!

Pesto Genovese

2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 c. basil, leaves only, no stems or flowers
1/3 c. pine nuts
1/2 c. olive oil
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Place the garlic in a food processor and pulse to break it into pieces. Add the basil in batches, pulsing each addition to form a roughly chopped mixture. Next add the pinenuts and pulse further to mix in well. Pour in the olive oil and pulse until the mixture comes together and is smooth but still has some texture.

Stir in the Parmesan, salt and pepper and adjust ingredients to your taste. Makes about 1 cup, enough for one pound of dried pasta.