How to Make Real Italian Pesto - aka - John Aiello's Pesto

WOW your friends and family by making this easy, garlicky basil pesto sauce for pasta! It's a great warm weather dish because the only food you cook is the pasta. The pesto is freshly made in a food processor.

If you like garlic, this dish is for you! If you like easy, look no further! If you're looking for an authentic Italian pesto then you've found it!

Don't let your fresh garden basil go to seed! Prepare pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays, 1/8 cup amounts, up to 1 cup amounts to use throughout the winter!

In honor of my dearly missed and loved Italian Papa, this dish is also called John Aiello's Pesto.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 3 Cups Fresh basil leaves (DO NOT use dried basil!)
• 1/8 Cup plus 1 Tablespoon Pignolia Nuts aka Pine Nuts
• 3 Cloves Fresh Garlic, or more if you really like garlic
• 1/2 Cup MINUS 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (Extra-Virgin preferred)
• 1/2 Cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (prepared or freshly grated)
• Salt to taste (Sea Salt preferred)
• Ground Black Peppere to taste (Fresh ground preferred
• Food Processor
• Colandar
• Measuring Cups
• Knife
• Spatula
• Paper Towels

1. 
   Fresh Basil Drying on Paper Towels

   This dish is so wonderful to make in the summer when it's easy to grow or buy fresh basil.
   
   Pull stems from the basil leaves and rinse the whole leaves in a colander. It's okay to leave the rib of the basil leaf intact. Spread the basil leaves on paper towels to absorb the water. Allow leaves to drain dry.
   
   Separate garlic cloves from head of garlic. Peel garlic and removeany dried ends of cloves with knife. If cloves are large, cut in half.
   
   Drop the garlic cloves into the bowl of the food processor.

2. 
   Toasted Pignolia Nuts

   While the basil leaves are draining, lightly toast the pignolia nuts in the toaster oven (see Tips below). Place the pignolia nuts on a tray and place in toaster oven. Set temperature for 275 - 300 degrees and toast for about 10 mins. Allow nuts to cool to room temperature.

3. 
   Basil, Pignolia and Garlic Chopped Step #2

   Create your pesto:
   
   #1 Drop the garlic and cooled pignolia nuts in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until mixed and ground but don't over mix or the mixture will become like a dry paste.
   
   #2 Add all of the basil leaves. Pulse for about 3 - 5 seconds.
   
   #3 Add half of the olive oil. Pulse for about 3 - 5 seconds.
   
   #4 Add ground cheese, remainder of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Pulse until well-combined but don't over-mix.
   
   #5 Taste for seasonings. Adjust salt and pepper as desired.

4. 
   Prepared Pesto

   Cook the pasta and combine with pesto:
   
   Cook 1/2 package of pasta in salted, boiling water according to package directions. Don't add oil to pasta water. Drain cooked pasta. Place the pot that the pasta was cooked in on a hot plate or return to the stove top. Don't use heat under the pot for this step. Return pasta to pot and gently stir Pesto Sauce into hot, drained pasta. The cheese may thicken from the hot pasta. If this happens, gently break up any clumps and continue to combine thoroughly but gently.
   
   Be careful if the pot is too hot. The cheese will start to cook and harden on the bottom of the pot.
   
   Transfer pasta to a serving dish. Serve at table with additional ground Romano cheese on the side and a red wine, if desired.
   
   Mangiare! È delizioso!

Tips & Warnings

• The basil leaves don't need to be bone dry. It's okay if there's some water left on the leaves. I allow the leaves to dry for about 20 mins.
• It's not necessary to toast pignolia nuts. You can use the nuts straight from the bag, however toasting the nuts brings out a nutty flavor that adds to the pesto flavor.
• This reciped makes about 1 cup of pesto.
• Pesto keeps for about 1 week to 10 days refrigerated in a non-metallic container.
• Leftover pasta mixed with pesto is good in the summer at room-temperature as a light lunch dish with fresh sliced garden tomatoes on the side.
• See my article "How to Grow Basil From Seed" to grow an abundant, inexpensive source of basil for this awesome dish.
• If you don't want to grow your own basil, choose fresh basil from the market with clean green leaves that are perky; avoid wilting basil or a bunch with lots of brown spots.
• Pesto is traditionally served over long, thin pasta such as vermicelli (angel hair) or spaghettini. The reason for this is the pesto can get lost on large, thick pasta.
• Don't let basil leaves dry for longer than an hour. The leaves will eventually lose moisture and start the process of becoming a dried herb.
• Don't over-toast the pignolia nuts. If you're unsure about toasting them, then use them untoasted. Pignolia nuts that are over-toasted develop a harsh taste.
• To reheat pasta covered with pesto it's best to microwave it at a low temperature. Don't reheat on a stove top over a hot flame or the cheese will melt, harden and ruin the dish.