Editor's note: Use this recipe to make Rawia Bishara's Eggplant Napoleon .
Ingredients
3 to 5 cloves garlic
1 cup pine nuts, slivered almonds or walnut halves
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or to taste (optional)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 packed cups chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for storage
Juice of 2 lemons
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
Directions
Put the garlic in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Toss in the nuts, Parmesan, if using, pepper and salt and chop until the nuts are finely crushed, about 1 minute. Add the basil, oil and lemon juice and pulse for 1 minute more, until smooth. Stir in red pepper flakes, if desired.
To store, transfer the pesto to a sterilized jar with a tight-fitting lid. Pour a thin layer of olive oil on top of the pesto, seal and refrigerate up to 10 days or freeze up to 3 months.
