Homemade Basil Pesto tasty and aromatic

Name: Homemade Basil Pesto
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 3 g fleur de sel (sea salt) crushed with 1 clove; 30 basil leaves, washed and dried; 2 garlic cloves, degerminated and crushed; 2.8 oz (80 g) pine nuts; 2.8 oz (80 g) freshly grated parmesan (Stravecchio or Parmigiano Reggiano); 0.4 cup (10 cl) approximately of excellent olive oil

A recipe by Michelin-starred Chef Patrick Asfaux 5/5 (4 reviews) · 🍳 4 made it

Prep 15 min

Cook 5 min

Total 20 min

Here's a chef's version of the famous pesto, a basil-based sauce that goes wonderfully with pasta, for example. Here are a few simple rules: basil is best enjoyed from April 15th to November 15th. It's always best to grate your parmesan just before making the recipe. Your pine nuts will be better when lightly toasted. Your olive oil must be of irreproachable quality.

Ingredients

3 g fleur de sel (sea salt) crushed with 1 clove
30 basil leaves, washed and dried
2 garlic cloves, degerminated and crushed
2.8 oz (80 g) pine nuts
2.8 oz (80 g) freshly grated parmesan (Stravecchio or Parmigiano Reggiano)
0.4 cup (10 cl) approximately of excellent olive oil

Step-by-step recipe

Of course, a mortar and pestle are essential, but if you don't have one, use your blender (a shame but...).

1 In a pan without fat, toast your pine nuts, then when they take on color, pour them onto paper towels.

2 At the bottom of your mortar, place your mixed salt, garlic and basil leaves slightly chopped. Crush or blend until it becomes a firm purée, then add the pine nuts and parmesan, crush or blend.

3 When everything becomes a paste, mount with olive oil drop by drop as you would for mayonnaise and stop when the texture suits you. Then taste it and if it's a little thick, add a bit of ice water and enjoy.

A chef's advice

Drop by drop, that's the trick. You build your pesto like a mayonnaise: too fast and the oil won't emulsify, the sauce breaks and separates. Pour the 10 cl of olive oil drop by drop while constantly crushing in a mortar, or pulsing briefly with a blender. The critical moment is when the paste becomes glossy and thick. Then you can speed up a bit. If it hardens too much, a touch of ice water brings it back to the right texture.