Easy Homemade Pesto
Nothing says “summer” like homemade pesto. It’s long been a favorite summertime sauce of mine—like for at least 20 years if not more! My parents ALWAYS made this particular pesto when I was growing up and I love it so much I pretty much refuse to ever order pesto at a restaurant because it’s never as good as their homemade version. Don’t let the “easy” qualifier fool you either—it really is the best.
Gorgeous fresh basil, silky olive oil, earthy pine nuts, and sharp pecorino work together with spicy raw garlic to make a luscious, velvety sauce that’s perfect over tortellini. A word to the wise; you have to love garlic to love this recipe. (But also, I don’t know if we can be friends if you don’t love garlic. Just saying.)
Served with a side of crusty bread and some grilled sweet sausage? Homemade pesto is the perfect easy meal for a breezy summer evening.
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Easy Homemade Pesto
barely adapted from the inimitable Marcella Hazan
Serves: 3-4 (although really Brian and I could devour the whole thing ourselves)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 4 minutes
Ingredients for sauce base:
2 cups fresh basil, washed and gently dried
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbsp pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
Ingredients for completion of sauce:
1 /2 cup pecorino romano, finely grated
2 tbsp parmesan, finely grated
3 tbsp butter, softened
18 oz fresh tortellini
Directions:
Cook fresh tortellini according to package instructions.
In the bowl of a food processor, process basil, olive oil, pine nuts, and garlic. Process until very smooth.
Pour sauce into a medium bowl, then gently stir in cheeses. Mix in softened butter until smooth.
Drain tortellini (reserving cooking water), place in a serving bowl, then pour pesto over the top and toss, adding 1-2 tablespoons cooking water to thin sauce if desired. Serve hot or at room temperature.
NOTE: I usually double this recipe. Oddly enough, I typically have enough for three separate batches of pasta when I do that! I separate the batches into three tupperware containers AFTER STEP (2) TWO and freeze what I’m not using. When I’m ready to use a frozen batch, I thaw it on the counter and THEN add the cheeses and butter. Do not freeze with cheeses and butter—it will ruin the consistency!
