Basic Pesto Sauce Recipe - NYT Cooking 10/1/19, 5(21 PM

es.com/recipes/1015269-roasted-beets-with-pine-nuts-and-parmesan?action=click&module=RecirculationRibbon&pgType=recipedetails&rank=

Basic Pesto Sauce

By Samin Nosrat

Y I E L D 1 2/3 cups

TIME 20 minutes

The key to making creamy pesto is to add the ingredients to the food processor in the right order to ensure that the
nuts break down to a fine paste before the greens have a chance to turn brown. Use basic basil pesto as a pasta sauce,
or thin it out with a little olive oil to drizzle it over steak, chicken, fish, pizza or tomato salad. The mint-pistachio
variation is inspired by the chef Travis Lett, of Gjelina in Venice, Calif.

INGREDIENTS PREPARATION

½ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted Step 1

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
2 cups packed basil leaves (2 1/2
ounces/75 grams, from 1 big bunch
or 2 small bunches)
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
(3 ounces/85 grams)
½ teaspoon kosher salt, more to
taste
Pulse pine nuts in a food processor until they're completely broken
down. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula from
time to time. Add olive oil and garlic and pulse until garlic is finely
chopped.
Step 2
Chop basil very roughly — just run a knife through it once or twice to
cut most of the leaves into halves or thirds — then add to food
processor. Pulse, stopping every 15 seconds to push the leaves down
with a rubber spatula, until basil is entirely worked into the oil. Pulse
for another few seconds, and then stop to prevent turning the basil
brown.

Step 3
Pour pesto base into a bowl and add grated cheese and salt. Stir to
combine, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Leave the sauce
thick to toss with cooked pasta and a little pasta cooking water. To use

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018235-basic-pesto-sauce?ac…lick&module=Local%20Search%20Recipe%20Card&pgType=search&rank=1 Page 1 of 2
Basic Pesto Sauce Recipe - NYT Cooking 10/1/19, 5(21 PM

the pesto as a garnish for grilled or roasted meats, fish and vegetables,
thin it out with 2 to 3 more tablespoons olive oil until it’s the
consistency of a loose paste. To store leftovers, pour a little more olive
oil over the pesto to cover. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up
to three days.

Tips
To make wild nettle pesto, substitute 1/2 pound stemmed nettle
leaves for the basil. Set a large saucepan over high heat and add 3
tablespoons olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the nettles and
sauté, stirring constantly with tongs, for 30 to 60 seconds until
wilted. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool. Squeeze all the
water you can from nettles, then roughly chop. Add 1/2 teaspoon red
pepper flakes and proceed as directed above. Toss with pasta, or thin
and drizzle over baked or grilled fish.
To make Mr. Lett's mint-pistachio pesto, substitute mint for the basil
and pistachios for the pine nuts. Substitute 2 tablespoons pecorino
Romano for the Parmesan and add 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon
zest. Use to garnish spring vegetables, fish and shellfish.

PRIVATE NOTES

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018235-basic-pesto-sauce?ac…lick&module=Local%20Search%20Recipe%20Card&pgType=search&rank=1 Page 2 of 2