Pesto

Submitted by Soma Sengupta

"Oh! PESTO!!!! The glories of summer in a spoon. You can freeze pesto for a wonderful reminder of summer in January. You can add it to pasta or gnocchi, seafood, chicken, meats… Or just treat yourself to a spoonful. If you freeze, I suggest you leave the cheese out & add it when you unfreeze. At that time, you can add more of any of the other ingredients if you want. You can make this in a food processor or the traditional mortar & pestle. Pesto darkens when exposed to air so to store, cover tightly with plastic wrap making sure the plastic is touching the top of the pesto."

 

• Ready In: 5mins
• Ingredients: 6
• Yields: 1 cup
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1⁄2 cup freshly grated romano cheese (about 2 oz, Romano gives a stronger sharper flavor) or 1/2 cup parmesan-reggiano cheese (about 2 oz, Romano gives a stronger sharper flavor)
• 1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1⁄3 cup pine nuts
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 3 teaspoons)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

directions

1. In a food processor: Place the basil leaves and pine nuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a several times. Add the garlic and Parmesan or Romano cheese and pulse several times more. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. While the food processor is running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady small stream. Occasionally stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor.
2. In a mortar: Place pine nuts, basil, garlic and salt in the mortar and grind with a pestle until paste. Add cheeses and drizzle in olive oil, beating with a wooden spoon.
3. Store in jars, topped with a very thin coating of extra virgin olive oil to just cover the pesto. Or, line ice cube trays with oiled plastic wrap & fill with pesto to freeze.