authentic pesto

pesto autentico

2 cups, enough to dress 1 to 1½ pounds pasta

Making pesto by hand in a mortar produces the most authentic and delicious results. If your mortar is too small to accommodate whole basil leaves, use a food processor to gently and minimally chop leaves before proceeding. Pesto is best used the same day but keeps, its surface covered with a thin layer of olive oil and tightly covered, chilled, for 3 days. To dress pasta, dilute pesto with a tablespoon or two of pasta cooking water, toss with hot pasta (just cooked and drained), add a tablespoon or two of butter and toss again. Serve at once.

• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 2 cups tightly packed basil leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed, peel removed
• Coarse sea salt
• 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place pine nuts in a medium skillet and heat over medium-low heat. Cook, occasionally shaking the pan back and forth over the heat, until nuts are toasted, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer nuts to a plate to cool completely.

Rinse basil and gently, but thoroughly, pat dry with paper towels. Place in a mortar with cooled pine nuts, garlic and pinch salt. Using the pestle with a rotary movement, grind ingredients against the wall of the mortar, until ground to a paste. Add both cheeses and grind into mixture to combine.

Transfer mixture to a large bowl. In a slow and steady steam, add oil, whisking constantly.