Basil Pesto
Basil, nuts, cheese, garlic, and olive oil. Short processing keeps the leaves fresh; the blender is not a lawn mower.
Ingredients
- 50 g fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
- 30 g pine nuts
- 1 small garlic clove
- 50 g finely grated Parmesan
- 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1–2 g fine salt, to taste
Measures: 1 tbsp = 15 ml; 1 tsp = 5 ml. Yields are approximate. Pan width and heat affect reduction time; the texture gets the final vote.
Method
Prepare
If toasting the pine nuts, toast lightly in a dry pan and cool completely. Warm nuts and delicate basil are an avoidable integration problem.
Crush
Use a mortar or food processor to crush garlic and pine nuts. Add basil and pulse briefly, scraping down as needed.
Combine
Add oil in small additions until you have a coarse paste. Stir in Parmesan by hand and season.
Serve
For pasta, loosen a few spoonfuls with warm pasta water, then toss off the heat. Do not fry the basil sauce.
Checkpoint: Fragrant green paste with some texture and no bitter, overheated taste.
Failure modes and fixes
Too thick: add olive oil for storage, or pasta water only to the serving portion. Too garlicky: expand with more basil, nuts, cheese, and oil.
More rescue techniques →Put it to work
Pasta, sandwiches, tomatoes, or a spoonful over vegetable soup.
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate promptly in a covered container at 40°F / 4°C or colder and use within 3 days. Garlic and herbs in oil do not become shelf-stable. Do not leave out longer than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F / 32°C). Storage and handling reference.