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Prep Time: 25 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 25 Minutes Servings: 1 |
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Making pesto by hand in a mortar produces the most authentic and delicious results. If your mortars is too small to accommodate whole basil leaves, use a food processor to gently and minimally chop leaves before proceeding. Pesto is best used the same day but keeps, its surface covered with a thin layer of olive oil and tightly covered, chilled, for 3 days. To dress pasta, dilute pesto with a tablespoon to two of pasta cooking water, toss with hot pasta (just cooked and drained), add a tablespoon or two of butter and toss again. Serve at once. Ingredients:
1/4 cup pine nuts |
2 cups tightly packed basil leaves |
2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed |
coarse sea salt |
6 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese |
2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino romano cheese |
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil |
Directions:
1. Place pine nuts in a medium skillet and heat over medium-low heat.
2. Cook, occasionally shaking the pan back and forth over the heat, until nuts are toasted, 6 - 8 minutes.
3. Transfer nuts to a plate to cool completely.
4. Rinse basil and gently, but thoroughly, pat dry with paper towels.
5. Place in a mortar with cooled pine nuts, garlic and pinch of salt.
6. Using the pestle with a rotary movement grind ingredients against the wall of the mortar, until ground to a paste.
7. Add both cheeses and grind into mixture to combine.
8. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
9. In a slow and steady stream, add oil, whisking constantly.
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