Pesto Autentico

Total Time: 25 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2 cups tightly packed basil leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
• coarse sea salt
• 6 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Recipe

• 1 place pine nuts in a medium skillet and heat over medium-low heat.
• 2 cook, occasionally shaking the pan back and forth over the heat, until nuts are toasted, 6 - 8 minutes.
• 3 transfer nuts to a plate to cool completely.
• 4 rinse basil and gently, but thoroughly, pat dry with paper towels.
• 5 place in a mortar with cooled pine nuts, garlic and pinch of salt.
• 6 using the pestle with a rotary movement grind ingredients against the wall of the mortar, until ground to a paste.
• 7 add both cheeses and grind into mixture to combine.
• 8 transfer mixture to a large bowl.
• 9 in a slow and steady stream, add oil, whisking constantly.