Pesto - Marcella Hazan

Name: Pesto - Marcella Hazan
Ingredients: 2 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed; 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil; 3 tablespoons pine nuts; 2 garlic cloves, chopped fine before putting in the processor; salt; 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated (parrmigiano-reggiano); 2 tablespoons pecorino romano cheese, freshly grated (or pecorino fiore sardo); 3 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature

8 ingredients

6 steps

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine before putting in the processor
salt
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated (parrmigiano-reggiano)
2 tablespoons pecorino romano cheese, freshly grated (or pecorino fiore sardo)
3 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature

Directions

1

Briefly soak and wash the basil in cold water, and gently pat it thoroughly DRY with paper towels.
2

Put the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, chopped garlic, and an ample pinch of salt in the processor bowl, and process to a uniform, creamy consistency.
3

Transfer to a bowl, and mix in the two grated cheeses by hand. It is worth the slight effort to do it by hand to obtain the notably superior texture it produces.
4

When the cheese has been evenly amalgamated with the other ingredients, mix in the softened butter, distributing it uniformly into the sauce.
5

When spooning the pesto over pasta, dilute it slightly with a tablespoon or two of the hot water in which the pasta was cooked.
6

Freezing pesto: Make the sauce through to the end of Step 2, cover with a layer of olive oil and freeze it without cheese and butter in it. Add the cheese and butter when it is thawed, just before serving.