Classic Pesto

Every basil-lover needs a fantastic basic pesto recipe. And this will be yours, I promise. When you get tired of stirring it through hot pasta, try it tossed through blanched sugar snap peas and sliced breakfast radishes, spread on meat and fish before broiling, as a dip for crudites, stirred into soups and stews, folded into ricotta or cream cheese as a quick party spread, spooned into hollowed out cherry tomatoes for canapes, folded into mashed potato, perched on the end of a bread stick or in your favorite panini. The possibilities, are quite literally, endless!

Makes 1 Cup

1/3 cup pine nuts
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
Kosher salt and freshly grated black pepper
5 cups basil leaves with stems removed, well packed
2/3 cup olive oil
1 oz. finely grated Parmesan

The Modern Way:

Place the pine nuts, garlic, 1/2  tsp. salt and 1/4  tsp. black pepper and the basil in a food processor, and pulse until everything is finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil in a continuous stream into the feed tube and process until a thick emulsified paste is formed. Stop every now and then to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the cheese and process until just combined. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.

Like Nonna Used to Do:

If you want to go old school, this pesto is even more sublime if you make it the traditional way, in a pestle and mortar. Oh yeah, and it will give your arms a hell of a work out! Start by putting 1 cup of basil in the mortar, then pound until broken down. Continue adding basil and grinding it until all of the herb has been reduced to a thick mulch. Add the pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper and keep pounding until you have a smooth paste. Start to grind in a circular motion, and gradually add the oil incorporating it into the paste. Finally, mix in the cheese, and season to taste with more salt and pepper.

To store:

In the fridge…Transfer the pesto to an airtight container, and pour a thin layer of oil to completely cover the surface. (This stops the basil from oxidizing and turning brown.) Keep in the fridge for up to one week.

In the freezer… Spoon the pesto into the compartments of an ice tray then freeze until solid. Remove the pesto “cubes” from the tray and transfer to a plastic Ziploc bag. Defrost as many cubes as you need at any one time by leaving in the fridge overnight.