Ingredients
- 1 large bunch of basil, leaves only, washed and dried
- 3 medium cloves of garlic
- 1 small handful of raw pine nuts
- 3/4 cup Parmesan, loosely packed and freshly grated
- A few tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
- The technique is: chop a bit, add some ingredients, chop some more — instead of chopping everything all at once. This technique ensures a spectrum of cut sizes throughout the pesto contributing to the overall texture.
- So start chopping the garlic with about 1/3 of the basil leaves. Once this is loosely chopped add more basil, chop some more, add the rest of the basil, chop some more. Scrape and chop, gather and chop. At this point the basil and garlic should be a very fine mince. Add about half the pine nuts, chop. Add the rest of the pine nuts, chop. Add half of the Parmesan, chop. Then add the rest of the Parmesan, and chop. In the end you want a mince so fine that you can press all the ingredients into a basil 'cake'. Transfer the 'cake' to a small bowl, and cover it with a bit of olive oil. It doesn't take much, just a few tablespoons. You can set this aside or place it in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it. Just before serving give the pesto a quick stir to incorporate some of the oil into the basil, and enjoy!
