Courtesy of Chef Claudia Rovegno of From Scratch
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 – 3 cups, small, basil leaves (see note)
- 1 fresh garlic clove, smashed and roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp pine nuts
- 1/2 cup olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
- 6 tbsp (packed) grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp (packed) grated Pecorino cheese
- Pinch fine sea salt
Step by Step Instructions
Before you begin: Freeze the bowl and blade of your food processor (or blender) for 30 minutes. Refrigerate the olive oil for 30 minutes. This will prevent the basil from oxidizing.
- Add the garlic, pine nuts and 2 tbsp. of oil to the food processor. Pulse a few times until minced. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the basil leaves and another 2 tbsp. of oil. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the cheeses.
- With the machine running, slowly stream in the rest of the olive oil and blend until creamy. Scrape the pesto into a bowl.
- Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt (if needed). Stir in more olive oil to loosen the texture (if needed). It shouldn’t look like a thick glob.
- To store: transfer pesto to a small jar. Top with a layer of olive oil to prevent browning. Refrigerate until ready to use. It should last up to 1 week.