Basil Pesto
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- ¼cup (30 grams) pine nuts
- 1medium clove garlic, peeled
- 2cups (70 grams) tightly packed basil leaves, preferably Genovese
- ⅔cup (60 grams) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
- ⅓cup (30 grams) finely grated pecorino, preferably pecorino sardo
- Sea salt
- ⅓cup (80 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1pound trofie or spaghetti
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
1451 calories; 62 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 33 grams monounsaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 174 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 48 grams protein; 837 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Set a large pot of water to boil over high heat.
- Step 2
Use a mortar and pestle to pound and grind the pine nuts to a fine paste (no distinct pieces should be visible). Add the garlic, and pound until smooth and integrated.
- Step 3
If the basil leaves are very large, run a knife through them once or twice to cut them down in size. Add basil to pine nuts along with a pinch of salt, which will help break down the leaves. Continue pounding and grinding until the basil breaks down completely (if your mortar is small, pound the basil in batches), about 7 minutes. Once the nuts and basil combine into a thick green paste, stir in Parmesan, pecorino and oil. Taste, and adjust salt as needed.
- Step 4
Generously season water with salt. Cook pasta until al dente, then drain, reserving a cup of cooking water. (Tip: Heat your serving bowl by using it as a lid for pasta pot)
- Step 5
Place cooked pasta in the serving bowl, and stir in pesto. Add splashes of cooking water and olive oil as needed to loosen the sauce and ensure the pasta is evenly coated. Garnish with Parmesan, and serve immediately.
- Immerse any leftover pesto in olive oil. Cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Private Notes
Comments
I made this recipe substituting parsley for basil and walnuts for pine nuts. Although the flavor was obviously different, making it by hand using a mortar and pestle created a pesto more luscious than any I have made with a food processor or blender. My duo is a lava stone pestle from Mexico and a ribbed Japanese bowl, together they do the job quite efficiently.
Can I just say: thank you for supplying the ingredients in grams. Knowing everything’s weight makes it so much easier to repeat!
why are we getting this recipe in November after all the fresh basil is out of season????
Followed the recipe exactly, used our Carrara marble mortar & pestle. The result was the best pesto we’ve ever had- perfectly emulsified and the taste was incredible!
For a change, I measured out the ingredients, using grams where they were listed. Walnuts instead of pine, and fresh basil from my little pizza garden. And... I also used a food processor. The flavor and texture of this pesto are really outstanding, and it reminds me every year how much I miss fresh pesto. Looking forward to simple pasta w pesto tonight.
I’ve messed up the proportions of ingredients for pesto before when left to my own devices, so I’m grateful for Samin’s recipe as a guide! I’ve used it twice now with excellent results, weighing my ingredients. I sub sunflower seeds for pine nuts, and I use a food processor. Just made a double batch with my first basil harvest of summer! Heaven!
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