Basil Pesto - Giada

By norsegal8

The secret to making a great pesto is getting the sauce to the right consistency. Fresh from the food processor, the sauces are usually too thick to coat pasta. 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 create pesto soup.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2/3 about 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly 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 of the 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