Blender Pesto Food

HOW TO MAKE PESTO LIKE AN ITALIAN GRANDMOTHER

Steps:

• Start chopping the garlic along with about 1/3 of the basil leaves. Once this is loosely chopped add more basil, chop some more, add the rest of the basil, chop some more. I scrape and chop, gather and chop. At this point the basil and garlic should be a very fine mince. Add about half the pine nuts, chop. Add the rest of the pine nuts, chop. Add half of the Parmesan, chop. Add the rest of the Parmesan, and chop. In the end you want a chop so fine that you can press all the ingredients into a basil "cake" - see the photo up above. Transfer the pesto "cake" to a small bowl (not much bigger than the cake).
• Cover the pesto "cake" with a bit of olive oil. It doesn't take much, just a few tablespoons. At this point, you can set the pesto aside, or place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Just before serving, give the pesto a quick stir to incorporate some of the oil into the basil. Francesca's mom occasionally thins the pesto with a splash of pasta water for more coverage, but for our gnocchi this wasn't necessary.

SILKY BLENDER PESTO PASTA SAUCE WITH FETTUCCINE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.
• Add the basil leaves to a large bowl, then cover with cold water and let sit while you start the pesto. To a blender, add the pine nuts, garlic, pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 pepper and half the olive oil. Turn the blender to high and process until the mixture is smooth and looks like a liquidy nut butter. Drain the basil leaves, but do not pat them dry. (The excess water will help create a smooth and silky sauce.) Add the basil leaves to the blender along with the remaining olive oil. Cover the blender and process until completely smooth. Add the cheeses and process until just combined. Set aside.
• Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain the pasta and add it back to the pasta pot. Add the pesto and 1/2 cup pasta water. Turn the heat to low and toss together until the sauce is silky and clinging to the pasta, adding more pasta water if necessary.
• Transfer the pasta to bowls and top with extra Parmesan. Serve.

BASIC PESTO

Steps:

• Pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor or blender until the basil is finely chopped.
• With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil and puree until emulsified. Stir in the Parmesan. To store, transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate up to 5 days.