Italian

Basil pesto

Name: Basil pesto
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 26 g fresh basil (about 50 leaves); 1 garlic clove (+ 1 small one if adding Parmesan); 30 g pine nuts; 18 g Parmesan (freshly grated, optional); 65 ml extra-virgin olive oil (65 to 100 ml, or more depending on the consistency you want); salt (add only to the dish at serving time)

Pesto alla genovese, ready in 10 minutes.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: —
Total: 10 min
Level: Easy

A jar of bright green pesto with basil leaves and pine nuts

Tips

A marble mortar and wooden pestle are ideal. They don't alter the flavour of the basil the way the metal blades of a blender do (but if you have to, the blender works).
Don't salt the pesto while blending. Add salt only when you're tossing the sauce with the pasta — otherwise the pesto oxidises and loses its beautiful green colour.
Pesto keeps for up to 10 days in the fridge and 2 months in the freezer. Always top with olive oil after each use to prevent oxidation.

Method

Briefly rinse the basil leaves, then dry them in a salad spinner or between two sheets of paper towel.
Put the garlic, pine nuts, and basil in the blender bowl with a little olive oil. Blend, gradually streaming in the rest of the oil, until you reach a creamy but still thick consistency.
If desired, fold in the grated Parmesan at the end and pulse briefly to combine.
Transfer the pesto to a jar and top with olive oil to prevent oxidation. Seal tightly or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.