The summer is almost upon us and there is no simpler herb to grow and eat all summer long. Pesto is a Genovese specialty. It is a mortar and pestle process, NOT a food processor process. You MUST make it in a traditional mortar and pestle. Pesto consists of the best basil leaves you can find, whole garlic cloves, pignoli nuts, EVOO from Genoa, sea salt and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Pesto can be terrible when not done properly. Please follow my instructions to the letter.
1st Rule: NEVER use pesto from a jar. It’s HORRIBLE. Basil is a fresh leaf herb that does NOT age well. It makes zero sense to be lazy with pesto.
2nd Rule: Never make pesto too far in advance, and never use it when it’s older than two days
Get yourself a good mortar and pestle. No kitchen is complete without it. Make sure to get one that fits at least 2 cups.
Here is a simple pesto recipe.
Ingredients: Perfect whole basil (leaves only), Italian pignoli nuts, whole cloves garlic, coarse Italian sea salt, very finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (I like the summer parm which I think is the best for pesto) and Genovese EVOO.
Directions: Surround your mortar and pestle with the ingredients. Now the best way to proceed is to wing it. I like an equal balance between all flavors. This is something that needs to be done as you work because all garlic is not the same, all nuts are not the same, and most importantly all basil is NEVER the same. Arrange ingredients around mortar and pestle and add your basil (so it overflows the M&P) Then add a lil’ garlic, a lil’ pignoli, salt & start mashing it. Continue mashing it with the mortar until the basil is completely pulverized, now taste it and smell it. Adjust salt garlic and pignoli amounts and finish mashing till you have a fine paste. Add your EVOO, your parmigiano and readjust salt again. If you need a lot of pesto just repeat process again. Tip: If I know I am making Trofie (curly pasta similar in shape to cavatelli) al pesto I leave the pesto a lil’ oily to coat the pasta better. Now when making Trofie al pesto you NEVER cook the pesto. You let the heat of the pasta itself along with some pasta H2O steep it. Add some more parm and then SERVE. Believe me folks. The Mortar and pestle is the ONLY way to go. Pesto is named after the device. It is INDISPENSABLE. I also enjoy Potato Gnocchi al Pesto but that’s about it. Go with Trofie and you will never be disappointed.
Tags: pesto