Pasta with Basil Pesto

Ingredients

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• 2 bunch fresh basil leaves only, about 2 oz (60 g)
• 40 g (1.4 oz) pine nuts
• 60 g (2.1 oz) Parmesan finely grated
• 1 clove garlic
• 100 ml (3.4 fl oz) olive oil extra-virgin
• salt a pinch, to taste
• 400 g (14 oz) fusilli
• salt for the pasta water, about 10 g per quart

Method

1. Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, shaking constantly, until golden and fragrant. Tip them onto a plate right away and let them cool, because they keep browning in the hot pan.
2. Pick the basil leaves off the stems and pat them dry with paper towels if they are wet. Finely grate the Parmesan.
3. In a mortar, grind the garlic with a pinch of salt into a paste, add the pine nuts and crush them, then grind in the basil a little at a time. Stir in the Parmesan and finally the olive oil.
4. Or use a blender: pulse the garlic, pine nuts, basil and Parmesan in short bursts of about 1 second, then add the oil in a thin stream and blend for no longer than 20 seconds so the pesto does not heat up.
5. Bring plenty of water to a boil, add about 10 g of salt per quart and cook the fusilli for 1 minute less than the package directs, usually 9 to 11 minutes. Scoop out about 1/2 cup (100 ml) of pasta water before draining.
6. Drain the pasta and return it to the empty, still warm pot, off the hot burner. Add the pesto and 3 to 4 tablespoons of pasta water and toss for 30 seconds until every piece is coated. Serve immediately.

Tip: Genuine Parmigiano Reggiano is made with animal rennet and is therefore not strictly vegetarian. For strict vegetarians, use a hard cheese whose label says “microbial rennet”.

Tip: Spoon leftover pesto into a clean jar, cover it with a layer of olive oil and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, never at room temperature. The oil layer keeps the green color.