Try this proper mortar and pestle pesto. There are lots of recipes people claim taste better if made by hand, but there's no easier case to prove that than pesto. The intensity of the flavors is beyond compare, and as if by some kind of magic, this gorgeous spread develops an irresistible spiciness. You can taste each ingredient, and yet when smashed together, new and wonderful flavors are released.
Ingredients
- garlic: 4 clove (peeled)
- kosher salt: 0.25 tsp
- bunch fresh basil (about 4 to 5 ounces): 1 piece
- pine nuts: 3 Tbsp
- ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese: 2 piece
- mild extra-virgin olive oil: 0.5 cup
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Crush garlic and pinch of kosher salt in a mortar with the pestle until garlic is mashed and paste-like, 1 or 2 minutes. Add basil in 3 or 4 additions, crushing and pounding down the leaves until they form a fairly fine paste, about 8 minutes or more depending on size of leaves and thickness of stems. Add and pound in pine nuts.
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Transfer a handful of grated cheese to mortar and pound into the sauce. Add another handful of cheese and incorporate into the mixture. Continue adding cheese a handful at a time until completely incorporated, about 5 minutes.
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Drizzle in olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time, pounding it into the sauce. When all the olive oil has been added and emulsified into the mixture, transfer pesto to a bowl and drizzle the surface with olive oil.
