Maria's Very Green Pesto
By Maria RodaleI’ve been making pesto for 40 years. But it took a lot of experimenting to figure out how to keep it bright green. The answer is simple: Blanch the basil before you blend it. This also makes the pesto easier to blend, so it’s a win-win. The word pesto is Italian for pounding or crushing something, and you can make it with anything—any herb, any nut. But this recipe is for classic basil pesto.
Ingredients
Makes enough for a pound of pasta
- 2 cups fresh basil
- 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup grated Romano* cheese
- Salt and pepper if desired**
Instructions
- Blanch the basil by dipping it in boiling water for a few seconds. Transfer to the food processor fitted with the blade attachment.
- Toast the pine nuts in a pan on the stove. (Don’t get distracted or they will burn.)
- In a blender or food processor, combine the basil, toasted pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. You can use a traditional mortar and pestle instead, if that’s your pleasure.
- Add the Romano cheese now if you are going to eat the pesto right away. (You might leave the cheese out to accommodate people who don’t eat cheese or if you want to freeze the pesto.)
- Serve over pasta. Pesto also makes an incredible topping for pizza.
- *Some people use Parmesan cheese. I prefer Romano, which is a sheep’s cheese much like Parmesan but with a milder and more pleasing flavor.
- ** I need to avoid salt, and I find there is enough in the Romano cheese to satisfy me, but you can add salt as needed. You might also like to add black pepper (or cayenne).