Garden-green, rich and simultaneously refreshing, pesto was made for summer. It's no coincidence that it requires ample amounts of summer's most popular herb, basil.
Throw basil and a few other ingredients in a mortar and pestle and pound away. In about 15 minutes, it's presto, pesto!
OK, so maybe 15 minutes doesn't warrant the word presto. But modern cooks can replace the mortar and pestle with a food processor and cut the "pounding" time down to a minute.
Either way, the result is a delicious taste of summer, wonderful on pasta, boiled potatoes, green beans and fish, or as a flavor booster to vegetable soups.
Pesto comes from the Italian word pestare, and essentially translates as "pounded." It can refer to a number of pounded, uncooked sauces. But classic pesto consists of lots of basil, plus garlic, pine nuts, salt, olive oil and cheese.
John Mariani wrote in The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink (1998) that the first reference appeared in an 1848 cookbook from Florence, but the dish is associated with Genoa in the Italian region of Liguria, in which basil is plentiful.
Variations abound, both traditional ones in Europe and modern ones all over the world.
Pine nuts give the creamiest texture. But walnuts, almonds and even pistachios may be used.
Cilantro, mint, parsley or arugula sometimes replace the basil.
Parsley often is used in smaller amounts in combination with basil. Michele Scicolone wrote in 1,000 Italian Recipes (2004) that using the basil with parsley helps compensate for the fact that the tiny-leaf basil used in pesto in Italy is fairly mild. Parsley, then, tones down the stronger basil commonly found in the United States.
Parsley also improves the green color of the sauce, as basil tends to darken once it is torn or chopped.
Pesto is almost always made with Parmesan, pecorino or a combination of the two. Pecorino tends to add a slightly sharper, stronger flavor that some cooks prefer.
In Sicily, pesto is made with mint, almonds, dried chile pepper and tomatoes. Marcella Hazan, a well-known authority on Italian cooking, compares Genoese and Sicilian pestos this way. "The Genovese is more herbal, it registers cool on the palate; the sensations the Sicilian one delivers are sultry and ripe."
Anyone needing to give their arm muscles a workout may want to give a mortar and pestle a try. It may wear out your arm and shoulder muscles, or it may be therapeutic, or both. But a mortar and pestle will give the silkiest texture and the best basil flavor.
Some recipes call for using a blender, but that tends to require too much oil to properly chop and blend the solid ingredients. The next best method is the food processor.
One advantage of the food-processor method is it tends to emulsify and incorporate the olive oil better than the mortar method. In fact, the food-processor method may require a bit more olive oil and the mortar method a bit less.
The flavor of the basil can be a bit dull in the food processor. To improve it, the editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine found that bruising the basil leaves in a bag with a meat pounder or rolling pin before processing them helps brighten the flavor.
The Cook's Illustrated folks also recommend toasting the unpeeled garlic in a dry skillet to tone down the sharp taste of raw garlic, though this is not called for in traditional recipes. Occasionally, Italian cooks will toast the pine nuts to boost their flavor.
Pesto is used fairly generously. There should be enough to lightly coat all of the pasta. Figure on serving about 3 tablespoons of pesto with each ¼ pound of pasta.
When tossing pesto with pasta, it may help to add a tablespoon or two of the hot pasta cooking liquid to help the sauce melt and spread evenly over the pasta.
Pesto tends to work best with long and slightly thick pasta, such as linguine, fettuccine, tagliatelle and regular (not thin) spaghetti.
Pesto is made to be eaten immediately. But it will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. In planning to keep it for more than a day, pour a generous coating of olive oil over the top to help preserve it.
Pesto also freezes well. Some people like the convenience of pesto cubes. To make these, fill all the compartments of an ice-cube tray, place in the freezer until frozen, then transfer to a heavy-duty freezer bag or other airtight container.
Though pesto is a raw sauce, a key part of the process is tossing it with a hot food. As the hot food warms the sauce, it brings out the full flavor of the basil and cheese while retaining all the freshness of the raw herb.
Pesto may seem simple -- even strange. Why, you may ask, would people want to eat ground-up nuts and herbs on their pasta?
But like all great dishes, pesto is more than the sum of its parts. In fact, plan to make more than you think you need. This alchemy of basil, pine nuts, garlic, oil and cheese is addictive.
Pesto
For a classic Genoese dish, serve this with one pound of trenette (pasta of long thin strips), spaghetti or linguine; ½ pound cooked, sliced potatoes; and ½ pound trimmed and cooked green beans. Coat all the hot food with pesto just before serving. If desired, two tablespoons of butter may be melted into the mix at the end.
Pinch of salt
3 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ cup pine nuts
3 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves (about 6 ounces), patted dry (or 2½ cups basil and ½ cup flat-leaf parsley)
3 tablespoons freshly, finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3 tablespoons freshly, finely grated pecorino cheese
6 to 8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Mortar-and-pestle method: Put salt, garlic, pine nuts and basil in a mortar. If all of the basil doesn't easily fit into the mortar, start with a small portion of basil and gradually add more as the basil becomes ground. Pound with a pestle until the mixture becomes a paste. Add cheese and pound just enough to combine. The mixture should be well integrated but not completely smooth. While beating the mixture with a wooden spoon, gradually add enough oil until mixture forms a thick, just slightly runny paste.
Food-processor method: If desired, place basil in a heavy-duty plastic bag, and beat with a meat pounder or rolling pin about 30 seconds to bruise the leaves. Transfer basil to a food processor; add salt, garlic, nuts and about half of the oil. Process until finely chopped. Run motor for a couple of seconds, then pour remaining oil through the feed tube until the mixture is fairly smooth, about 10 seconds, stopping once to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cheese.
Makes about 1 cup.
Sicilian Pesto
Recipe adapted from Marcella Says (2004) by Marcella Hazan.
2 ounces (about ½ heaping cup) peeled almonds
1 whole garlic clove, peeled
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grated pecorino cheese, preferably one milder than Romano
½ cup tightly packed washed fresh mint leaves
¼ teaspoon ground dried red chile pepper, or more to taste
3 to 4 firm, fresh plum tomatoes, peeled, split open, seeds scooped out, chopped
1 teaspoon fine sea salt (or less table salt)
Put all the ingredients in a food processor and process to a creamy consistency. Taste and correct for salt. Toss with pasta that has just been drained and is still piping hot in a warm bowl; serve immediately.
Makes enough pesto for 1 pound of pasta. The pesto will keep in a tightly sealed container for up to a week.
Linguini With Sophia's Sauce
Recipe adapted from Sophia Loren's Recipes and Memories (1998) by Sophia Loren.
This book from screen legend Loren is a real gem. Here, Loren offers her take on pesto with capers, anchovies and olives. Loren insists that pesto be made in a mortar and pestle for best results. But feel free to "cheat" with a food processor.
2 cups Italian parsley leaves
3 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ cup pine nuts
3 to 4 anchovy fillets, rinsed or excess salt
10 or more black olives, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 small onion, minced
About ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound linguine or spaghetti
Freshly ground pepper or paprika
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, in a mortar, pound together the parsley, garlic, pine nuts, anchovies, olives, capers and onion until all the ingredients are uniformly combined. Gradually pour in the oil, continuing to pound the paste and adding the oil gradually until the paste is thick and saucelike. Set aside.
3. Cook the pasta just until al dente in the boiling water. Place a lightly oiled pan over medium heat.
4. Drain the pasta and toss it in the oiled pan. Cook for less than a minute, just until excess moisture evaporates and pasta begins to brown.
5. Place pasta in a serving bowl and toss with the sauce and a dusting of pepper or paprika.
Makes 4 servings.
Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
Recipe adapted from Italian Classics (2002) by the editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine.
3 medium garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 medium roasted red bell peppers, cut into roughly 2-inch pieces
1 small shallot, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
¼ cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Toast the garlic in a small, dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until softened and spotty brown, 7 minutes. Remove from pan. When cool enough to handle, peel and discard skins.
2. In a food processor, process the garlic, peppers, shallot, thyme, parsley and oil until smooth, stopping as necessary to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes about 1½ cups, enough for about 1 pound of pasta.
Seared Tuna With Arugula Pesto
Recipe adapted from 1,000 Italian Recipes (2004) by Michele Scicolone.
4 tuna steaks, each about 1 inch thick
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Arugula Pesto
1 bunch arugula, washed, stemmed and dried (about 2 cups lightly packed)
½ cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
2 garlic cloves
½ cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Rub the fish all over with a little olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
2. To make the pesto in a food processor, combine the arugula, basil and garlic. Process until finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and process until smooth. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let stand 1 hour at room temperature.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add tuna steaks and cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare, or more or less for desired doneness. Test for doneness by making a small slit in the thickest part and checking the color.
4. Serve the tuna hot or at room temperature, drizzled with arugula pesto.
Makes 4 servings.
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