Pesto

Ready for the freezer

I made pesto today. Had a big basil plant (complete with roots!) from the farm, plus we have a few small plants in our 'garden' (actually just a 4x4 foot raised bed, but home to zucchini, tomatoes, basil, parsley, peppers and brussels sprouts). I picked up good cheese (I was intending to buy Parmigiano-Reggiano, but they didn't have any, so I got Pecorino Romano, which was even better...) and pine nuts and I was ready to go.

The easiest way to make pesto is in a food processor. Start with about 4 cups of basil leaves. Put them in the processor bowl with 4 cloves of garlic and pulse until everything is nicely chopped. Scrape down the sides and add 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (place on a baking sheet in a 350 F oven for about 5 minutes) and up to 1/2 cup of grated hard cheese (preferably Romano or Parmesan). Pulse again until everything is chopped. Now remove the bowl from the processor, take out the blade, and stir in 3/4 cup olive oil, stirring until it is all mixed in. Taste and add salt if desired.

That's it! I immediately froze it in plastic freezer bags to use later (pesto freezes very well), but you could use it straight away. For simple pasta with pesto sauce, cook pasta in heavily salted water until done to your liking (do not rely on the timing on the side of the box - use it as a guide and check often by pulling a piece and tasting it). Remove the pasta from the water with tongs or a pasta spoon, putting it in a warm bowl. Do not throw out the pasta water! Add some pesto to the pasta in the bowl, stirring to combine. Now add a little pasta water (use a ladle or spoon) to thin the sauce to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Enjoy!

Note 1 - The olive oil is stirred in instead of processing it because the latter can result in a bitter flavor.

Note 2 - If you do not have a food processor, you can use a blender, or even a mortar and pestle (this last would be more authentic, but I prefer the food processor...).

Note 3 - Metric Info: 4 cups = 950 ml; 1/4 cup = 60 ml; 350 F = 175 C; 1/2 cup = 120 ml; 3/4 cup = 180 ml.