Basil Pesto (aka Pesto Genovese)
“Pesto” comes from the word for “to pound” or “to crush”. Of course, if you don’t want to go old school with a mortar and pestle, a food processor works just fine. This classic sauce was purportedly developed in the Genoa region of Italy, hence the “Pesto Genovese”.
The traditional recipe for pesto, which uses fresh basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese and olive oil, is good on just about anything. I love making pesto and freezing it for those months when the basil isn’t fresh, and I’m longing for sunny weather. So now is the perfect time to get crackin’ on that effort!
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Ingredients
- 1large bunch fresh basil leaves(approximately 4 cups)
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese(freshly grated, not the powdered stuff from the green jar)
- 2cloves garlic, minced
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/3cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Remove stems from basil. Wash the leaves, patting dry with a paper towel.
- Using the blade attachment, add basil leaves and pine nuts to food processor.
- Pulse until a course mixture forms.
- Add Parmesan cheese and garlic to mixture. Pulse until ingredients are incorporated.
- With processor on, use the hole in the top of the machine to slowly drizzle olive oil into mixture to form a paste.
- Salt & pepper mixture to taste.
- Use pesto immediately, or store in air tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Alternately, store in freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.
Recipe Notes
This classic sauce is great on things like pasta, of course. But get creative! Use it as a spread on a breakfast sandwich, mix with Greek yogurt or sour cream for a tasty vegetable dip, or toss a spoonful into soups and stews for a complex flavor. The possibilities are truly endless–and delicious!
