Classic Pesto
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 17, 2011
Time
20 minutes
Yield
Serves 4 to 6 (Makes 3/4 cup pesto, enough for 1 lb of pasta)
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Use medium-sized garlic cloves. Thoroughly dry the basil leaves before processing them (as oil and water don't mix). You may associate pesto with pasta, but it's also good in a sandwich, on fish, or stirred into soup.
Instructions
- Toast garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and skins are just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add pine nuts and continue to cook until garlic is spotty brown and nuts are golden, 2 to 3 minutes. When it is cool enough to handle, peel garlic.
- Process garlic, nuts, basil, oil, Parmesan, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in food processor until smooth, scraping down bowl as needed, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Pesto can be covered with 1 tablespoon oil and refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
Time
20 minutesYield
Serves 4 to 6 (Makes 3/4 cup pesto, enough for 1 lb of pasta)Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Harsh garlic can easily tip pesto’s delicate balance. We temper the burn by toasting the garlic cloves, skin on, until spotty brown. And to boost the flavor of mild pine nuts, we flashed them in the skillet to toast as well.
Before You Begin
Use medium-sized garlic cloves. Thoroughly dry the basil leaves before processing them (as oil and water don't mix). You may associate pesto with pasta, but it's also good in a sandwich, on fish, or stirred into soup.
Instructions
- Toast garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and skins are just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add pine nuts and continue to cook until garlic is spotty brown and nuts are golden, 2 to 3 minutes. When it is cool enough to handle, peel garlic.
- Process garlic, nuts, basil, oil, Parmesan, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in food processor until smooth, scraping down bowl as needed, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Pesto can be covered with 1 tablespoon oil and refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
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