The Best Pesto
- Yield:Makes enough for 4 servings
- Active time:30 minutes
- Total time:30 minutes
- Rated:
Using a mortar and pestle results in the best pesto. [Photographs and video: Vicky Wasik]
This pesto sauce, through rounds and rounds of testing, has been honed to the perfect ratio, ingredients, and method. And, while a mortar and pestle requires a bit of work, the superior sauce it produces compared to a food processor can't be argued with. This is the true, best pesto. Still, if you want to use a food processor, you will end up with a very good pesto using this ratio of ingredients. (Just pulse the garlic, salt, and pine nuts together first, then add the cheese and follow with the basil; stir in the oil.)
Why It Works
The best pesto is still made the old-fashioned way. Read the Whole Story- Using a mortar and pestle creates a luxurious sauce with a rich, deep flavor and a beautiful, silky texture that's superior to what a food processor can do.
- Pecorino Fiore Sardo is a slightly milder sheep's-milk cheese, and creates a more balanced, less harsh pesto sauce.
- Mild olive oil results in a more balanced, less aggressively spicy sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 medium cloves garlic
- Generous pinch coarse sea salt
- 3 ounces basil leaves (from about a 4-ounce bunch)
- 2 tablespoons (30g) pine nuts
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (1 ounce) grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (1 ounce) Pecorino Fiore Sardo (see note above)
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (150ml) mildly flavored extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
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1.
Using a mortar and pestle, combine garlic and sea salt and grind to a paste.
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2.
Add basil leaves, a handful at a time, and grind against the walls of the mortar; it's easier to use a circular grinding motion than to try to pound the leaves with the pestle. Continue until all basil leaves have been crushed to fine bits and have released their green liquid.
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3.
Add pine nuts and gently crush with pestle, then work into a paste with basil and garlic.
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4.
Add both cheeses and continue to use pestle to grind into a paste.
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5.
Slowly drizzle in olive oil, working it into the pesto with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Pesto can be served with pasta right away, or transferred to a jar or container, covered with a small layer of olive oil, sealed, and refrigerated overnight.