Pesto alla Genovese al Mortaio
La Conserva: Late Summer Rituals and the Winter Pantry
In Liguria, pesto is a late-summer ritual designed to capture the fleeting sunshine before the dark of winter sets in. Purists will demand a marble mortar and hours of rhythmic pounding, but the pragmatic grandmothers of Genoa understand the realities of a Tuesday night. The secret to hacking the food processor without butchering the dish's soul is temperature control: a freezing cold blade prevents the motor's heat from oxidizing the delicate basil. Combine that with a mild olive oil and a clever trick to sweeten your garlic, and you get a vibrantly green, aromatic sauce that tastes exactly like the old country.
Before you start
Chill the equipment.
Place the metal blade and the food processor bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes before you start to prevent the motor's heat from oxidizing and browning the basil.
Ingredients
- sweet basil leaves3 cup
- garlic1 large
- pine nuts1/4 cup
- mild extra virgin olive oil1/2 cup
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- Parmigiano Reggiano1/2 cup
- Manchego cheese2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Pulse the base aromatics.
Combine the germ-free garlic, pine nuts, and 1/4 cup of the olive oil in the chilled food processor bowl, pulsing until a coarse paste forms.
- 02
Process the basil carefully.
Add the bone-dry basil leaves and kosher salt, pulsing the machine in brief two-second bursts to avoid generating motor heat until the leaves are finely chopped.
- 03
Finish the emulsion by hand.
Transfer the bright green mixture to a mixing bowl and use a wooden spoon to gently fold in the grated Parmigiano, Manchego, and the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil.
- 04
Emulsify with pasta water to serve.
Never heat pesto in a pan; instead, place the raw sauce in a warm serving bowl, whisk in two tablespoons of hot, starchy pasta water to make it creamy, and toss vigorously with hot drained pasta.
Notes
The garlic germ.
Removing the tiny green sprout from the center of your garlic clove eliminates the harsh, bitter compounds that cause indigestion, yielding the sweet allium flavor necessary for a raw sauce.
Choosing the right oil and cheese.
Avoid robust olive oils and overly salty Pecorino Romano, which will bully the delicate basil. Seek out a mild, buttery oil and use Spanish Manchego as a brilliant, accessible substitute for the milder Pecorino Sardo.
The winter pantry.
To freeze pesto for the colder months, prepare the recipe through the chopping stage without adding the cheese or final oil, then freeze the paste in an ice cube tray.
From Cook Italian in America.