Classic Basil Pesto — The Basic Series

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A white bowl of fresh basil pesto topped with a basil sprig, on a woven mat with a vase of dried oats behind — Best the day it's made, crowned with a little basil

Pesto is the most generous thing you can do with a summer basil plant. It asks for almost nothing — leaves, toasted pine nuts, garlic, two good cheeses, and a slow stream of olive oil — and gives back something you'll want on everything: pasta, of course, but also eggs, warm bread, ripe tomatoes, a roast chicken. Made well it stays bright and a little coarse, never a paste. This is the one to keep in the fridge all season long.

Ingredients

For the pesto

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
¼ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano (optional, but excellent)
⅓ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 garlic cloves
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, a wedge of Locatelli Pecorino Romano, grated cheese, and garlic on a wooden board — Everything it asks for — and almost nothing more

Method

Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet for 2–3 minutes, until fragrant. Let them cool.
In a food processor, pulse the garlic and pine nuts until finely chopped.
Add the basil, both cheeses, the salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Pulse several times.
With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until smooth but still slightly textured.
Taste, and adjust the salt if needed.

Pressed flat with a thin film of olive oil over the top, it keeps its color in the fridge for a week — or freeze it in small portions for winter.

"Stir it into hot pasta off the heat, never over it — pesto is meant to be warmed by the food, not cooked. A spoonful of the pasta water loosens it into something silky."