Pesto Sauce

By norsegal8

The secret to making pesto into a great pesto sauce is to get the sauce to the right consistency. You need to mix in just enough of the pasta cooking water to get the pesto to coat the pasta, but not so much that you get pesto soup.

Ingredients

• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper, plus more to taste
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Step 1

IN A BLENDER, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper until finely chopped. With the blender still running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in the cheese. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper to taste.