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Marcella Hazan’s Pesto

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BY The Editors

PUBLISHED September 21, 2022

It is unlikely that any pesto will taste quite like the one made with the magically scented basil of the Italian Riviera. But never mind, as long as you have fresh basil, and no substitute for basil, you can make rather wonderful pesto anywhere.

 

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Marcella Hazan’s Pesto

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Makes 6 servings 1x

Units Scale

Ingredients

If you’re using a food processor:

  • 2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped fine before putting into the processor
  • Salt

If you’re making by hand:

  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated romano cheese
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 1/2 pounds pasta

Instructions

1. Briefly soak and wash the basil in cold water, and gently pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels.

2. Put the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, chopped garlic, and an ample pinch of salt in the processor bowl, and process to a uniform creamy consistency.

3. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the two grated cheeses by hand. It is worth the slight effort to do it by hand to obtain the notably superior texture it produces. When the cheese has been evenly amalgamated with the other ingredients, mix in the softened butter, distributing it uniformly into the sauce.

4. When spooning the pesto over pasta, dilute it slightly with a tablespoon or two of hot water in which the pasta is cooked.

– Recipe from the Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking: 30th Anniversary Edition, by Marcella Hazan

Recipe variations

Pesto with Ricotta
The slightly sour milky flavor of ricotta brings lightness and vivacity to pesto. To the ingredients in the basic food processor recipe, add 3 tablespoons of fresh ricotta and reduce the amount of butter to 2 tablespoons. As in the basic recipe, mix the grated cheese, the ricotta, and the butter into the processed ingredients by hand in another bowl. Serves 6.

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