Danny Bowien's World Championship Pesto
★★★★☆
PREP TIME
15 minutes
MAKES
almost 2 cups of pesto, enough to sauce 1 pound of pasta with some left over for other meals
Ingredients
3 cups
packed basil leaves (100 grams, from 2 large bunches)
1 tablespoon
pine nuts (untoasted)
1/2 teaspoon
fine sea salt, or more to taste
3/4 cup
olive oil, divided
1
small clove garlic
1/2 cup
finely grated pecorino Romano (using a Microplane grater, 12 grams)
1/2 cup
finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano (using a Microplane grater, 12 grams)
Instructions
- Wash the basil leaves in a big bowl of cold water, changing out the water as needed if the leaves are sandy.
- Add the pine nuts and salt to a blender, along with 1/2 cup of the olive oil, or enough to cover the blades. Blend briefly, then add the basil to the blender, shaking lightly but leaving a bit of the cold water clinging to the leaves. Add a small clove of garlic—Bowien says good pesto doesn’t need too much garlic—and the remaining olive oil. Gently pulse this all together in the blender, letting the ingredients mix with each other organically. The mixture should be smooth and bright green.
- Add the cheeses and blend the mixture one final time, just until the cheese is evenly dispersed. The result should be a fresh, light pesto in a vibrant shade of green. Taste and adjust the salt, cheese, and consistency to your liking.
- Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for no more than four days or freeze (in ice cube trays or flat in freezer bags).
