Classic Genovese Basil Pesto

By Candiss Shumate

A vibrant green Italian sauce featuring fresh summer basil, toasted pine nuts, savory garlic, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. It provides a rich and aromatic addition to pasta, sandwiches, or grilled meats.

Yield: 4 servings · Prep: 10 min · Cook: 3 min · Total: 13 min

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pieces garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts

Steps

1. Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes, then let them cool completely.
2. Place the cooled pine nuts, garlic cloves, and salt into a food processor and pulse several times until finely minced.
3. Add the fresh basil leaves and pulse in short bursts until the leaves are coarsely chopped.
4. With the processor running on low speed, slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil until the mixture is emulsified and relatively smooth.
5. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, fold in the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and season with black pepper.