Name: Perfect Pesto
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Serves 4 to 6 (Makes 1¾ cups)
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1/2 cup pine nuts; 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided; 4 ounces fresh basil leaves and stems; 3/4 teaspoon table salt, plus salt for blanching basil; 1 1/4 ounces Parmesan cheese; 2 garlic cloves, peeled

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted a bright green pesto packed with the sweet, subtle licorice notes of aromatic basil; the toasted aroma and buttery texture of pine nuts; the richness of olive oil; the savory bite of garlic; and the saltiness of Parmesan cheese. But to get there, the devil was in the details. For enough basil flavor, we needed 4 cups of stemmed basil leaves. To consistently measure them, we laid the leaves in a measuring cup and pressed down slightly to eliminate air pockets (but did not pack them in). To keep the leaves from turning black once they were blended into the pesto sauce, we blanched them quickly in boiling water to lock in their green color and then spun them dry in a salad spinner so that excess water didn't dilute the pesto's flavor. We toasted the pine nuts in oil so that they browned more evenly and then spread them out on a plate to cool. This ensured that their residual heat didn't further discolor the basil leaves. Since we were already using the food processor to bring the sauce together, we saved ourselves some work and also used it to grate the cheese. We processed the base of blanched basil, toasted pine nuts, garlic, oil, and salt until it was smooth and then added that to the bowl of cheese and stirred everything together; the processed Parmesan provided concentrated pops of flavor.

Before You Begin

This recipe yields enough to sauce 1 pound of pasta. We prefer the flavor of Italian pine nuts here; the container should indicate where they're grown. Use a good-quality, relatively mild extra-virgin olive oil for the best results. When shopping for basil, look for a 4-ounce plastic container of leaves with stems; after stemming, you should have 4 cups of leaves (3 ounces by weight). If you don't have a scale to measure the Parmesan, the amount of processed Parmesan should be about ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons. This pesto is also good on crostini, in sandwiches, on fish, or stirred into soup.

Instructions

Combine pine nuts and 1 tablespoon oil in 8-inch skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until pine nuts are light golden, 3 to 6 minutes. Spread pine nuts out on plate and let cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts water to boil in medium saucepan. Remove and discard basil stems from leaves (you should have 4 cups leaves [3 ounces by weight]). Add basil leaves and 1½ teaspoons salt to boiling water and cook until basil is wilted and bright green, 5 to 10 seconds. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer basil directly to salad spinner and spin to remove excess water. Spread basil on clean dish towel to dry. (If you don't have a salad spinner, drain basil on clean dish towel and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.)

Process Parmesan in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds; transfer to medium bowl. Process garlic, pine nuts, basil, salt, and remaining oil in now-empty processor until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer pesto to bowl with Parmesan and stir to combine. Serve

to make ahead

Place pesto in sealable 1-pint container and cover with additional 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month.