Pesto Alla Genovese

To make about 1 1/2 to 2 cups

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, stripped from their stems, coarsely chopped and tightly
• packed
• 1 teas salt
• 1/2 teas freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 teas finely chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped pine nuts
• 1 to 1/2 cups olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated imported Parmesan cheese

To make the pesto in a blender: combine the coarsely chopped fresh basil, salt, pepper,pine nuts and 1 cup of olive oil in the blender jar. Blend them at high speed until the ingredients are smooth, stopping the blender every 5 or 6 seconds to push the herbs down with a rubber spatula. The sauce should be thin enough to run off the spatula easily. If it seems too thick, blend in as much as 1/ 2 cup more olive oil. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and stir in the grated cheese.

Note: Often in Italy the pesto is thinned further by adding to it 1 or 2 tablespoons of the hot spaghetti water before mixing it with the pasta

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