Basil pesto
Linguine with basil pesto
A great classis, a kids favourite (at least mine) and a synonymous of Italian summers. Basil pesto, so easy yet intricate in terms of flavour profile.
A few points. Genovese basil pesto (the original and official recipe of the consortium) should be made with Ligurian basil (very aromatic yet not pungent and with small leaves) and local olive oil.
The most traditional pasta of choice would be trofie, a small and intricate shape from eggless dough that can be handmade or found in Italians grocery stores but trennette, bavette or linguine are considered acceptable (and I through in spaghetti as well).
In terms of cheeses, Pecorino is often ‘cut’ with an equal percentage of either Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano.
And yes, when I can’t be bothered, I blitz everything with a blender and it is 5 times quicker!
Serve 4 pp // Prep time 30 minutes
Ingredients:
400 gr of linguine
50 gr of basil leaves
85 ml extra virgin olive oil
15/20 gr pine nuts
30 gr of grated Grana Padano cheese
30 gr of grated Pecorino cheese
½ garlic clove (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional:
120 gr of diced potatoes
150 gr of trimmed French beans
Method
Rinse well the basil leaves and let them dry on a clean towel. Pat dry gently as you don’t want to tear the leaves or they will oxidise quickly.
Now using a pestle and mortar, crush the garlic with a pinch of salt until well smashed then add the pinenuts and repeat. Now add the basil and keep going with the pestle until partially broken down.
Now add the olive oil and the cheeses and reduce everything into a grainy paste
You can store the pesto in a clean jar well sealed in the fridge for ¾ days. Make sure you leave a little layer of oil on the top of the pesto to protect it from oxidisation. My mum also freezes her pesto for up to 6 months, although expect some discolouring when defrosted.
Drop the pasta in salted boiling water and cook the potatoes and French beans along with it. The potato starch will help the pesto to cling even better on your pasta.
Toss the pasta in a clean bowl along with the potatoes and beans and add the of pesto. Do this away from the heat as the pesto should never be returned to the stove. Mix well and add a ladle of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen up the sauce. Once the pasta is well coated and glossy serve straight away with a last sprinkle of grated cheese on top.