Sauce
Pesto
SauceOrigin: Italy
A pounded green sauce of basil, garlic, cheese, nuts and oil.
Prep
15 min
Cook
—
Total time
15 min
Portions
6
Total weight
210 g
Per portion
35 g
Ingredients
Method
Prepare
- Pick the basil leaves from the stems and wash gently; dry thoroughly so the sauce is not watery. Lightly toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat 2–3 minutes until golden; cool.
- Crush or finely chop the garlic with the salt. Finely grate the cheese.
Pound or blend
- In a mortar (or food processor pulsed briefly), grind garlic, salt, nuts and basil to a coarse paste — stop while still textured.
- Work in the cheese, then drizzle in the olive oil until spoonable. Taste; add salt if needed. Do not overheat or over-blend if using a machine, or the sauce will darken and turn bitter.
Serving
Toss with hot pasta (loosen with a spoon of pasta water), spread on bread, or spoon over grilled vegetables and chicken.
Storage
Pack into a jar, cover with a thin film of oil, and refrigerate up to 5 days. Freezing in ice-cube trays works well.