Basil & Pine Nut Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 cup solidly packed fresh basil leaves
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/3 cup pine nuts, very lightly toasted
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (generous)
- 1 to 2 twists freshly milled black pepper
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- scant 1/4 cup freshly grated Romano or Pecorino Sardo cheese
- 1/2 cup virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbl. sweet butter, room temperature
Instructions
Put the basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, salt, pepper, and oil into a blender or food processor. Blend to a smooth puree, stopping the machine once or twice to scrape the sids of the container with a rubber spatula so that all the ingredients are equally ground. Add the grated cheeses and the butter and whirl for about 15 seconds. Scrape the sides again and turn on the processor for another few seconds. Do not overdo the grinding in the food processor or your pesto will have very little texture.