Pepita Pesto GF

Ok, I love, love, love pesto! Love it! And I hate nothing more than when I order it at a restaurant and get a minuscule dollop on the top of my meal. Or this is my favorite...We went to Olive Garden one time and asked for pesto...ummm the waiter didn't even know what it was!!! It's suppose to be Italian!! Come on! So yeah, you get the drift. I love it and I am pretty sure the hubs loves it more! This pesto is a bit different than your typical pesto. I used pepitas rather than pine nuts. I have a number of friends/family who are allergic to nuts or have a child allergic to nuts. Also, there is less fat in the pumpkin seeds than there is in pine nuts. Oh, and a big yahoo is that the price for pepitas is a fraction of the pine nuts! Can't go wrong there!

Ingredients

1 c toasted pepitas
4 Cloves garlic
1 c fresh grated Parmesan Cheese
3 C fresh Basil leaves
3/4 C Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
1/4 C cooking water from your pasta ( You could use a whole cup of olive oil, but I like to try to keep the fat lower so I use some of the starchy cooking water from whatever pasta I am making with my pesto. If you like to have it oilier than you could use up to 1 1/2 C olive oil as well. this is up to you.)
1 lb of whatever pasta you want to serve it over.

Directions

In a dry skillet toast the pepitas over md/high heat. You will notice some of the oils start to come out of them. This is how you draw out the flavor of the pepita. Once Toasted, place all of the ingredients except the oil and water in a food processor. Turn on and as you puree it drizzle in the oil and then the water. Puree until well blended and semi- saucy. It will be thicker than your typical pasta sauce for sure! Serve over hot pasta or chicken or whatever your heart desires!