Preparation: 20 min. – Difficulty: Medium
Serves 6
50 g of basil (preferably Genoese) | 100 ml of oil extra virgin olive oil | 6 kitchen spoons of Parmesan cheese PDO or Grana Padano | 2 tablespoons of pecorino (Roman, Tuscan, Sardinian or Sicilian) | 2 cloves of garlic | 1 tablespoon of pine nuts | coarse salt to taste
1. Browse the basil, put it in a colander and wash it under running cold water, then dry it with a kitchen towel.
2. Take a mortar, put the garlic in it with some coarse salt and begin to crush. If we don’t have a mortar, we can use an electric blender. In this case, here is a tip to follow: we put the blender bowl in the freezer for a few minutes before use, so that the sauce does not overheat too much during processing.
3. Combine the basil leaves, a few at a time, and crush them with a gentle and light rotational movement, trying to crush them slowly. When a bright green liquid starts to come out of the basil, add the pine nuts, if possible of origin Italian, tastier and more fragrant, it is important to use top quality products.
4. After having crushed the pine nuts well, we can combine the Parmesan (or Grana Padano) and the pecorino, finally, the extra virgin olive oil. Let’s choose it among those with a not too strong taste, otherwise you risk covering the delicate aromas of basil.
