Be sure to rinse and dry the basil leaves well. I give mine a shake outside my kitchen window. I haven’t lost a leaf yet. (Although some of the people down below on the sidewalk might wonder where that basil-scented mist is coming from.) Those of you who prefer to live less vicariously can use a salad spinner or shake them in a tea towel.
If using a food processor or blender, or similar device, I recommend grinding up the nuts, garlic and cheese first, then adding the remaining ingredients and pureeing them until smooth. No need to pre-chop the basil leaves – just add them right in, and stop the food processor a few times to scrape down the sides as you go.
Ingredients
2 cloves garlic (peeled)
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
5 cups (120g) loosely-packed basil leaves
5 tablespoons (75ml) best-quality olive oil
2 ounces (60g) grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup (30g) pine nuts (walnuts, or shelled pistachios, very lightly toasted)
Steps
Smash the garlic and salt together in a mortar and pestle until smooth. (You can also use a blender or food processor. See headnote for instructions)
Coarsely chop the basil leaves, then add them to the mortar and pounding them into the garlic as you add them.
Once well-mashed, when they’ve become a fairly smooth paste, pound in the olive oil, adding it a spoonful at a time, until well-incorporated.
Lastly, pound in the cheese, then the pine nuts.
Continue mashing everything for a few minutes until the pesto is as smooth as possible.
