Pesto

If you are dealing with raw pine nuts, throw them into a dry, small pan for a couple of minutes until the edges start to brown. These move from "fine" to "burnt" real quick, so be careful.

A food processor or smoothie blender makes this a dream -- throw everything in and blend on the highest setting until you have a smooth sauce. If it turns out a bit thick, you can let it down with a bit of oil. Taste for seasoning (remember parmesan is decently salty) and adjust as necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Oh, right. Combine a heaped tablespoon of pesto (roughly 20 grams) with a serving of pasta. Assuming you're eating the pasta fresh from boiling water, use tongs or a spider strainer and don't worry too much about a small amount of pasta water -- this will emulsify with the pesto to make a smoother sauce.