Seven-Ingredient Pesto, Two Ways
Seven-Ingredient Pesto, Two Ways
I have a lot of opinions when it comes to pesto, mostly because it’s one of a select handful of things I consider sacred. Rest assured that I don’t say this lightly: I believe it’s the single greatest sauce in Italian cuisine.
Ingrediënten
The Right Way
- I kept things simple whenever possible for this book because I want you to feel you can not only tackle but also enjoy cooking these recipes. Pesto is one of the few cases where I will adamantly urge you to make it the “low-tech” way. The result is delicate and vibrant, and in the time it takes to boil water for pasta, you’ll have used your hands to create something truly special.
- ½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ½ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
- 1 clove garlic
- Flaky sea salt
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 cups lightly packed basil leaves young and tender preferred
- ¼ to ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructies
- It helps to know: This recipe requires a cold mortar and pestle (I use a marble mortar and a wooden pestle, but inexpensive options are abundant on the internet).
- I use unwashed basil leaves to maintain their aroma.
- If your basil is dirty, clean it carefully using a damp paper towel.
- Cool your mortar and pestle in your refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- (The two worst things you can do to pesto are to overheat it and use too much. )
- In a small bowl, stir together the cheeses, and set aside.
- Place a folded towel beneath the cold mortar to allow it to rotate more easily.
- Using the pestle, mash the garlic with a pinch of salt to form a paste.
- Add the pine nuts and begin stirring the pestle aggressively around the center to force the ingredients up the sides of the mortar.
- Turn the bowl as you pound the pestle down along the sides.
- When the pine nuts and garlic have formed a paste, begin adding the basil in small handfuls, adding a pinch of salt occasionally to act as an abrasive.
- Continue to stir the ingredients up the sides of the mortar, rotate the bowl, and hit the pestle along its sides.
- With a little patience, gravity will do the work for you.
- Continue with this process until you’ve added all of the basil and no large leaves remain.
- The leaves will be a variety of sizes—imperfection is part of the beauty of a handmade pesto.
- Add the cheese mixture in small spoonfuls, continuing to stir, rotate, and pound the ingredients together.
- Slowly add the olive oil, still stirring and pounding until the pesto transforms from a paste to a thick, creamy sauce with a little flow.
- The amount of olive oil you use will vary depending on your preference, but ¼ to ½ cup usually does the trick.
- Be careful not to add too much oil too quickly as it will separate.
- Use immediately, or store in your refrigerator covered in ½ inch olive oil for up to 6 months.
- The olive oil preserves the pesto by preventing any contact with air.
- When you’re ready to serve, simply remove the excess oil and give the pesto a good stir.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
The Other Way
Before opening my new restaurant, Mentone, I traveled to Italy to learn the classic techniques of Genovese cuisine. On one of my trips, Roberto Panizza (the godfather of pesto) recounted the heartbreak of watching his grandmother prepare pesto using a blender. Use the following recipe if you must, but know that you’ll break Mr. Panizza’s (and my) heart.
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons pine nuts
Flaky sea salt
2 cups lightly packed basil leaves and stems
½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
½ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
¼ to ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
It helps to know: This recipe requires a food processor or blender.
Pulse the garlic, pine nuts, and a pinch of salt in a food processor until a paste forms. Add the basil and pulse until smooth.
Add the cheeses, turn the machine to low, and drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto transforms from a paste to a sauce.
Use immediately, or store in your refrigerator covered with ½ inch olive oil for up to 6 months.
Before opening my new restaurant, Mentone, I traveled to Italy to learn the classic techniques of Genovese cuisine. On one of my trips, Roberto Panizza (the godfather of pesto) recounted the heartbreak of watching his grandmother prepare pesto using a blender. Use the following recipe if you must, but know that you’ll break Mr. Panizza’s (and my) heart.
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons pine nuts
Flaky sea salt
2 cups lightly packed basil leaves and stems
½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
½ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
¼ to ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
It helps to know: This recipe requires a food processor or blender.
Pulse the garlic, pine nuts, and a pinch of salt in a food processor until a paste forms. Add the basil and pulse until smooth.
Add the cheeses, turn the machine to low, and drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto transforms from a paste to a sauce.
Use immediately, or store in your refrigerator covered with ½ inch olive oil for up to 6 months.
