Pesto and Pesto Pizza

1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil

1. (Optional) Toast the walnuts so they have less of a raw taste.  Just put them in a skillet on medium heat, shaking the skillet frequently, until they have browned and are fragrant.
2. Put the basil, nuts, parmesan cheese, and garlic in a food processor and process until finely ground.
3. Stream in the olive oil, a little at a time, while the processor is going, just until the mixture seems to come together.  You might need more or less than 1/4 cup.

For this recipe, I don't really measure the basil or olive oil.  I usually have basil because I bought it for something else, and I'm trying to use it up.  As I said above, just stream in the olive oil until the pesto is the consistency you want.  Also, in my last batch of pesto I had a bunch of parsley to use up, so I used parsley instead of the basil.  (I was going to use some thyme, too, but unfortunately, I let it get moldy.)  It turned out well!  Here is the link to the recipe I usually look off of:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/simple-garlic-and-basil-pesto/detail.aspx

The main thing I do with pesto once I have it is to make little pizzas out of it.  One time I actually made pizza dough and made a full-size pizza (which was delicious!), but usually I make individual size pizzas.  I pita pocket works perfectly for this.  Just take your pita and toast it first, if you want.  Then spread the pesto on the pita.  Next add some sliced tomatoes (I usually use cherry tomatoes because that's what I typically buy).  Then top it with some shredded cheese, such as mozzarella or that Italian cheese blend.  Put it in the toaster oven at 350 degrees for just a few minutes, until the cheese is melty and you can hear the pesto sizzling.  I usually switch it to the "broil" setting at the end just to get the cheese a little browned and make sure it's done all the way through.  One time I added spinach to the pizza, and that was good, too!