It's summer again. The season for beach vacations, mosquito bites, and of course, pesto. It's so easy to make and even easier to love, yet many opt for the store-bought, jar-petrified atrocities that you'll find available in the supermarket. This summer, do yourself a favor. Get outside, raid your neighbor's overgrown herb garden, and make this pesto. It's bright, fresh, and unapologetically green. Just like summer should be.
75 grams of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
4 tablespoons of pine nuts
1 clove of garlic
3 cups of lightly packed basil leaves
4 fluid ounces of extra virgin olive oil
Start by adding the cheese, nuts, and garlic to a food processor. Process until you form a paste.
Add your herbs to the food processor. Begin processing and slowly drizzle in about half of the oil.
Add an ice cube to the food processor, begin processing, and drizzle in the remaining oil.
Enjoy it however you like. Tossed with pasta and tomatoes, smeared inside a grilled cheese sandwich, draped over blackened shrimp, or eaten by the spoonful like someone who's survived the winter and is ready to live again. But whatever you do, don’t let it sit in the back of your fridge like some forgotten relic. This isn’t a condiment, it’s the fleeting taste of summer.
Use it fast. Use it well. And then make more.