How to Make Pesto With a Mortar & Pestle

Pesto originated in Genoa, Italy, and has graced plates for centuries. It is traditionally an uncooked sauce with a variety of uses. Fish, beef, poultry, bread, pizza and salads are all common uses for pesto. The Italian translation is "to pound", and pesto is traditionally made with a mortar and pestle. In recent years, it is common practice to prepare pesto in a food processor. This can result in a rather mushy homogenized paste rather than a textured sauce that most Americans would recognize as a dressing.

Things You'll Need

• 1 bunch fresh basil
• 3 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 1 small block Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Colander
• Paper towels
• Frying pan
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Fine cheese grater
• Mortar and pestle

Instructions

How to Make Pesto with a Mortar and Pestle

1. Wash the basil, removing any dirt. Pluck the leaves and put them into the colander.

2. Dry the basil on the paper towels, patting lightly. Be careful not to bruise the leaves.

3. Place the pine nuts in the pan and toast them on the stove using a medium-low setting. Stir or toss occasionally for even toasting. Do not walk away from this process or the nuts will burn. It is not necessary to toast the pine nuts, but doing so will result in a nuttier flavor.

4. Remove the nuts from the heat and set them aside to cool.

5. Cut the garlic in half or in quarters to make it easier to smash.

6. Chop the basil roughly, just enough to make it easier to pound.

7. Place the garlic, pine nuts--reserving 1 tbsp.--and a small pinch of salt in the mortar and smash using a down and outward motion. The salt will help to grind the garlic and nuts.

8. Add some of the basil and a small amount of olive oil, roughly a tablespoon. Smash and pound until the basil has a chopped appearance. The oil is important because it helps to lubricate the leaves and avoid pesto discoloration.

9. Continue to add more basil and oil, pounding and using all of the basil.

10. Add the tablespoon of nuts and pound lightly, leaving the pieces slightly rough for texture.

11. Grate the cheese until you have ¾ cup and incorporate it into the pesto.

12. Add pepper and salt to taste.

13. Store the pesto in a small bowl in the refrigerator, topped with a thin layer of oil and plastic wrap to prevent drying out and discoloration. The pesto can remain fresh for around a week or longer if it is properly stored, although some of the flavors may not be as strong.

Tips & Warnings

• Mix in sun-dried tomatoes, pepper flakes or olives for a tasty variation.

• Freeze the pesto in ice cube trays and transfer it to a freezer bag or container for quick meals.

References

• Beyond Basil Pesto