The Italian classic, I love this punchy, fresh & vibrant sauce. My version has a large punch of garlic, amazing green colour and a little smokiness from the toasted pine nuts. It's just perfect for freshly cooked pasta or on rustic grilled bread. I've listed two ways to make this below, the traditional pestle and mortar or the slightly faster blender/food processor. The ingredients remain the same in both cases.
Ingredients:
60-70g fresh basil
30g Pinenuts
40-50g parmigiano reggiano (grated)
2 garlic cloves
130ml good quality extra virgin
Rock salt and black pepper
Pesto Blender Method:
Chuck a pan on a medium/high heat and lightly toast your pine nuts, being careful not to burn them. Chuck these into your blender with the basil leaves, trying to remove as much stalk as you can. Chop down your garlic, and chuck this in, along with some rock salt and a little black pepper and your grated parmigiano reggiano. Blend slowly pouring in the extra virgin olive oil a little at a time, to let it emulsify. It's also good to do this, as you may need a little less or a little more oil depending upon your ingredients.
Once the Pesto has reached the desired consistency, check for seasoning adding more if needed. Decant into an air tight container and keep in the fridge.
Pesto Pestle and Mortar Method:
Chuck a pan on a medium/high heat and lightly toast your pine nuts, being careful not to burn them. Set these to one side when ready. Crush down your garlic cloves with some rock salt in a pestle and mortar. Add in the pinenuts and basil a few handfuls at a time, removing the stalks. Pound this down with a little more salt, add in the parmigiano reggiano, pound again and slowly add the extra virgin olive oil, until you reach the desired consistency.
Once the Pesto has reached the desired consistency, check for seasoning adding more if needed. Decant into an air tight container and keep in the fridge.
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