Pesto Genovese (Smitten Kitchen) #

Ingredients #

• 2 ounces (55 grams) aged parmesan or pecorino romano
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves
• ¼ cup (35 grams) toasted pine nuts
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Heaped 4 cups fresh basil leaves (3 ounces or 85 grams), from approximately a 5-6-ounce bundle with stems
• ½ cup (120 ml) olive oil, plus more as needed

Instructions #

1. In a food processor: Cut parmesan into smaller chunks and use the chopping blade (main one) to grind the cheese until powdery. Scrape cheese into a bowl and aside.
2. Add garlic to empty food processor bowl and pulse a few times, until roughly chopped. Add pine nuts and pulse several times, until chopped very small, but don’t run the machine so long that it becomes a seed butter. Add a 1/2 teaspoon salt, several grinds of black pepper, and basil leaves, and run machine until basil leaves are finely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in olive oil. Add ¼ cup parmesan and pulse a couple times to mix. Add more salt to taste — I like between 1 to 1½ teaspoons Diamond brand (less of any other brand) kosher salt total. Because I use it primarily as a pasta sauce, I want it well-seasoned.
3. By hand: Grate cheese on the small holes of a box grater. Finely chop garlic and pine nuts together on a cutting board. Add basil leaves and continue to chop until they’re minced. Scrape into a large bowl, add salt and pepper, and drizzle in olive oil, stirring. Add cheese, stir to combine. Season with additional salt to taste.

• *Both methods: You can use this right away or keep it in the fridge for up to a week.