Pesto made with parsley and sharp Pecorino Romano cheese (and without nuts) makes a colourful topping for tender lamb chops. It could also be tossed with pasta, spread on sandwiches, or mixed with cream cheese for a dip to serve with crudités.

Ingredients

• 8 lamb loin chops (each 4 ounces and 1 inch thick)
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup parsley pesto (recipe on page 2)

Directions
1 Heat a large skillet over medium.

2 Pat dry lamb with paper towels. Season chops on both sides with salt and pepper.

3 Cook (in two batches, if necessary) 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Serve immediately, topped with pesto

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 2 cups packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (2 ounces)
• 1 small garlic clove, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for storing (optional)
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions
1 In a food processor, finely chop parsley, cheese, and garlic. With the motor running, add oil in a slow, steady stream; season with pepper.

2 Serve immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and cover with a thin layer of oil; refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Freezing pesto
Pesto keeps very well in the freezer, so it’s worth making extra. Freeze it in small airtight containers, covered with a thin layer of olive oil. Defrost in the refrigerator before using.

Makes 1/2 cup

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Excerpted from Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast by Martha Stewart Living Copyright © 2010 by Martha Stewart Living. Photo Copyright © 2010 by Kana Okada. Excerpted by permission of Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.