Proper Pesto

Name: Proper Pesto
Prep time: 10 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 4 cloves garlic, peeled; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 large bunch fresh basil; 3 tablespoons pine nuts; 2 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; 1/2 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil

⏱️ Ready in 10 min 🥄 Prep 10 min 👥 8 servings

There are lots of recipes people claim taste better if made by hand, but there's no easier case to prove that than pesto. The intensity of the flavors is beyond compare, and as if by some kind of magic, this gorgeous spread develops an addictive spiciness. You can taste each ingredient, and yet when smashed together, new and wonderful flavors are released.

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🔗 Recipe adapted from AllRecipes

#Under 1 Hour #Under 30 Minutes #Under 15 Minutes #Lunch

📊 At a Glance

Prep 10 min

Serves 8

Difficulty Medium

🛒 Ingredients

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 large bunch fresh basil

3 tablespoons pine nuts

2 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/2 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil

Nutrition Facts

Servings per recipe 8

Serving size 1 serving

Amount per serving

Calories 181

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 17.8g 23%

Saturated Fat 0g 0%

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 169mg 7%

Total Carbohydrate 1.7g 1%

Dietary Fiber 0.4g 1%

Total Sugars 0.2g

Protein 4.1g 8%

Vitamin D 0mcg 0%

Calcium 0mg 0%

Iron 0mg 0%

Potassium 0mg 0%

* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

👨‍🍳 Instructions

Crush garlic and pinch of kosher salt in a mortar with the pestle until garlic is mashed and paste-like, 1 or 2 minutes.

Add basil in 3 or 4 additions, crushing and pounding down the leaves until they form a fairly fine paste, about 8 minutes or more depending on size of leaves and thickness of stems.

Add and pound in pine nuts.

Transfer a handful of grated cheese to mortar and pound into the sauce.

Add another handful of cheese and incorporate into the mixture.

Continue adding cheese a handful at a time until completely incorporated, about 5 minutes.

Drizzle in olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time, pounding it into the sauce.

When all the olive oil has been added and emulsified into the mixture, transfer pesto to a bowl and drizzle surface with olive oil.