Classic Genovese Pesto

 

About this recipe:

In late summer, when the garden is bursting with Basil, we can’t get enough of this Classic Genovese Pesto. We put it on everything! Everything! Mix it in with mayo for an awesome turkey sandwich, drizzle it over some scrambled eggs or stuff it into a fluffy French omelette, toss it with fresh pasta, make pasta salad, smear it on some crusty bread, eat it with cheese and crackers, top a pizza. It’s garlicky, nutty, cheesy, and utterly irresistible.

We like to roast our garlic to make this pesto a bit less pungent and garlicky, so we tend to go heavier on the garlic. If you prefer the flavor of raw garlic in your pesto you can use fewer cloves. Or you can use a combination of roasted and raw garlic.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Bunches Genovese Basil (about 2 cup of leaves)

  • 1 oz Aged Parmigiano-Reggiano (See Notes)

  • 2 Tbs Pine Nuts (See Notes)

  • 3-6 Garlic Cloves, Leave Skins On

  • 1/2+ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • Kosher Salt + Black Pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400º and use a piece of aluminum foil to create a small boat.

Wash the Basil and separate the leaves from the stems. Discard the stems and lay the leaves on a kitchen towel to dry while you prep the remaining ingredients.

Place four cloves of Garlic—with skins still attached—in the boat and roast for 10 minutes. Leave two cloves raw (“About This Recipe” for more info).

While Garlic is roasting, place the Pine Nuts in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Toast them agitating the pan frequently, until they are fragrant and just starting to brown—about 5 minutes total. Their high oil content will cause them to burn if the heat is too high, or they are not moved around frequently enough. Burnt Pine Nuts are very bitter, so keep a close eye on them throughout the entire cooking process.

Remove the garlic from the oven and allow to cool enough to handle. Peel all three garlic cloves and place them in the bowl of a food processor. Add the toasted pine nuts. Using a fork, crumble the Parmigiano into the food processor as well. Using several quick pulses, blend the ingredients together.

Once the Garlic, Parmigiano, and Pine Nuts make a coarse paste, add the Basil leaves, and pulse several more times to roughly chop them. Add half the Olive Oil and run the food processor for 30 seconds. Stop and scrape the sides into the bowl, and run another 30 seconds. Add half of the remaining Olive oil, and blend another 20 seconds. Add a couple cracks of Black Pepper, and a pinch of Kosher Salt, blend for 10 seconds and adjust the salt to your taste preference. If the pesto is too thick, add the remaining Olive Oil and blend to combine.

Once the desired consistency is achieved (it should be a spreadable paste), place the pesto in a bowl and level out the surface. Pour just enough oilive oil over the top to create a barier from the air or the surface of the pesto will oxidize and turn brown.

At this point the pesto can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated up to a week, or used as a dip or spread with fresh bread, mixed into mayonnaise to make a sandwich spread, or spread over the skin of chicken before roasting.

To use it as a pasta sauce, add about 1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water to the pesto to thin it, and toss in freshly drained pasta.

Notes:

Parmigiano-Reggiano is a Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) for cow’s milk cheese produced exclusively in central Italy, and aged at least 12 months. It’s the best! You can substitute Parmigiano-Reggiano with another Parmesan cheese, but pick a high quality variety, it will make all the difference. I like a good 24 month aged, raw milk cheese for pesto.

Hulled Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas), make a good alternative to Pine Nuts, especially for those with nut allergies.