CLASSIC PESTO GENOVESE
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Sauce, Dressing
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients
  • 50 gr basil leaves (about 2 cups, without stems)
  • 20 gr pine nuts (abour 2½ Tbs)
  • 35 gr Parmigiano Reggiano (1/3 cup, finely grated)
  • 50 ml extra virgin olive oil (about ¼ cup)
  • 1 small clove of garlic (crushed)
  • a pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. To make the pesto with a pestle and mortar; crush the garlic with salt. Add pine nuts and continue, working the pestle in a circular motion until you have a thick paste. Start adding the basil leaves, a little at a time. Once the basil is nicely mashed and blended add in the cheese, incorporate gently, using a circular motion. Drizzle in the olive oil and mix well.
  2. If using a food processor; it's pretty much the same order. Start with blitzing garlic, salt and pine nuts.
  3. Once you have a smoothish paste mix in the cheese. After a couple of blitzes add the basil leaves.
  4. Blend using short blitzes, stopping and giving it a stir a couple of times, until you have tiny bits of basil.
  5. Lastly drizzle in the olive oil, give it a blitz or two and check for seasoning.
  6. Go ahead and make yourself a nice bowl of pasta, you deserved it : )
Notes
Pesto will keep 2-3 weeks in the fridge in a sterilised glass jar, if covered with half an inch of olive oil.

You can easily double, triple, quadruple the recipe. If you choose to make a big batch like I do (I usually quadruple) the best thing to do is to freeze the pesto. I find the ice cube trays are best for this task. You can remove the pesto cubes once they are frozen and place in a freezer bag. 4-5 cubes should be plenty to dress pasta for two people. Defrost at room temp.

As you know parmesan is a rather salty cheese, so don't be too generous with your pinch of salt. You can always adjust at the end.

You can slightly increase the amount of garlic to suit your taste.
Recipe by HatiBon English at https://www.hatibon.com/blog/2017/05/classic-pesto-genovese/