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| Basil,
Garlic & Cheese Sauce (Peso alla Genovese) (Makes about 1-1/2 to 2 cups) |
| 2 cups fresh basil leaves, stripped from
their stems, coarsely chopped and tightly packed (or substitute 2 cups
fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, coarsely chopped; and 2 tablespoons dried
basil leaves) 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 to 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic 2 tablespoons finely chopped pine nuts or walnuts 1 to 1-1/2 cups olive oil 1/2 cup freshly grated imported sardo, romano or parmesan cheese |
| TO MAKE THE PESTO IN A BLENDER, combine the coarsely chopped fresh basil (or fresh parsley and dried basil), salt, pepper, garlic, pine nuts or walnuts and 1 cup of olive oil in the blender jar. Blend them at high speed until the ingredients are smooth, stopping the blender every 5 or 6 seconds to push the herbs down with a spatula. |
| The sauce should be thick enough to run off the spatula easily. If it seems too thick, blend in as much as 1/2 cup more olive oil. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and stir in the grated cheese. |
| TO MAKE THE PESTO BY HAND, crush the
coarsely chopped fresh basil (or fresh parsley and dried basil) with a
mortar and pestle or place in a heavy mixing bowl and crush with the back
of a large wooden spoon until the herbs are smooth and almost paste like.
Work in the salt and pepper, garlic, and pine nuts or walnuts, and then
add the olive oil 1/2 cup at a time, continuing to crush the herbs. When
the sauce is thin enough to run off the pestle or spoon easily, mix in the grated cheese. |
| Serve the pesto thoroughly mixed into hot drained pasta that has been tossed first with a few tablespoons of soft butter. |
| NOTE: Often in Italy the pesto is thinned further by adding to it 1 or 2 tablespoons of the hot spaghetti water before mixing it with the pasta. |
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