When the garlic is almost incorporated, add 3 tablespoons of pine nuts. I can eat pesto with almost any food and have been known to spread it on bagels. More conventional uses include putting it on grilled or baked vegetables, meat, fish, poultry or bread. Pesto can even make canned minestrone special. Pasta, of course, is the ultimate mate for pesto.
Spinach is a bit too mild, so go easy on the garlic.
Arugula is the reverse. They're all fun to make. Just don't call them pesto. Sam Gugino, Wine Spectator's Tastes columnist, is the author of Cooking to Beat the Clock. All Rights Reserved.