Basic Pesto

Name: Basic Pesto
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 1 generous cup, 6 serving(s)
Ingredients: 3 ounces fresh basil; 3 tablespoons pine nuts; 2 -3 garlic cloves, peeled; salt; pepper; 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese; 4 tablespoons softened butter; 4 tablespoons warm water; 1 1/2 lbs pasta; parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated, for serving

Submitted by Tuck Burnette

"This is great pesto, it is adapted for the American cook, from an old Marcella Hazan receipt. I have made it for years and never faulter from it. I have recipes here for doing it in a food processor, and doing it in a mortar and pestle. I also have under my collection, recipes for pushing it through the holes of a meat grinder, from which, it arguably has the best texture. This makes enough pesto to dress one and a half pounds of pasta without green beans."

Download

Ready In:: 20mins
Ingredients:: 11
Yields:: 1 generous cup
Serves:: 6

ingredients

3 ounces fresh basil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 -3 garlic cloves, peeled
salt
pepper
¹⁄₂ cup extra virgin olive oil
¹⁄₂ cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
4 tablespoons softened butter
4 tablespoons warm water
1 ¹⁄₂ lbs pasta
parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated, for serving

directions

To do the pasta in the food processor;.
Wash the basil well, dry lightly on paper, it does not need to dry completely. Detach the leaves from the stems, discard stems.
Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over low or medium-low heat, they may take six minutes, do not ignore them in any way, lest they burn.
Peel and chop each garlic clove into several pieces, you can grate it, if preferred, it doesn't matter.
Put the basil leaves, pine nut, and garlic into the bowl of a processor, adding some salt and pepper.
Pulse to a rather fine consistency. Stream in the oil through the chute. Emulsify finely.
Put into a bowl, stirring in cheese, butter, and warm water, making homogeneous with a wooden spoon, or a metal whip.
Pesto may be chilled, but bring to room temperature before serving on pasta.
To make pesto in the mortar;.
Place all of the basil leaves into a large mortar, working in batches, if necessary, as if preparing greens for cook.
Grind the basil leaves until they are well-wilted.
Add the pine nuts, garlic cloves, and salt.
Work to the finest, homogenous consistency possible, the pesto, should indeed not, need to be any finer than it is, before adding the oil.
Add the oil, a little at the time, if necessary, then stir in the butter and cheese with a spoon.
Serve at once, or cover and keep, at room temperature for up to a day.
To serve over pasta;.
cook spaghetti in well salted water till al dente. Reserve a small amount of cooking water. Drain pasta. Toss well with pesto, adding liquid if nessecary. Serve each portion with a small amount of grated cheese.