Basil pesto is one of the easiest recipes to make. The obstacle is finding the necessary quantity of basil leaves without spending a small fortune. Local farmers’ markets and produce distributors are good sources. Better still is growing your own: Wendy grows tons of basil in our summer garden and makes this pesto when she harvests the leaves. If you are vegan, basil pesto without cheese still tastes great.
Blended Ingredients
4 cups slightly packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 Tbsp pine nuts
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp salt
Added When Served
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
4 Tbsp freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
6 Tbsp butter at room temperature (optional)
Serving Suggestions
· As sauce for homemade ravioli or egg pasta or for store-bought macaroni (penne rigate, fusilli, conchigliette, and mezzi rigatoni are particularly good for pesto) or gnocchi
· As topping for bruschetta or polenta
· As base for pizza or spread for sandwich
1. Wash the basil and dry using a salad spinner or towel. Remove tough stems as you measure out the 4 cups of leaves.
2. Place all the blended ingredients listed above in a blender. I typically have best results adding olive oil into the blender first, followed by the smaller ingredients, and ending with the basil leaves. Blend to desired smoothness.
Note: The pesto will taste very strong. It will be much less potent once you mix it into pasta.
3. If you don't plan to use the pesto immediately, you may refrigerate it or freeze it at this point. Though I make multiple batches in one harvest day, I process and store the pesto in batch-sized portions so I later know how much cheese to add.
4. When you do use it, stir in cheeses and then soft butter. (I actually never use the optional butter. And sometimes, when I’m trying to have the occasional vegan meal, I don’t even add the cheese.)
5. To serve with pasta, boil macaroni according to the directions on the package. Reserve a little cooking water before draining. Add pesto incrementally to cooked pasta to your taste. You will use only part of the above recipe for a pound of pasta. Mix in a little of the reserved cooking water to emulsify the sauce.
