Fresh Milanese Pesto

Recipe yields one cup pesto, enough for 2 1-pound packages of pasta. See note.

2 bunches of fresh sweet basil leaves (2.5 ounces of leaves)
1 big or 2 small fresh garlic cloves (I add more)
A scant 1/4 cup of pine nuts toasted for a few minutes in a dry skillet
1 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup (about 2 ounces) aged Parmigiano cheese, freshly grated
A scant 1/2 cup (about 1 ounce) Pecorino cheese, freshly grated (I used a mix of freshly-grated Parmesan and Asiago cheeses to approximate the total amount of cheese. It was what we had, and it was still delicious.)
1/4 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1. Wash the basil leaves in cold water and carefully blot them dry (bruising ruins the flavor).

2. Mince the garlic and the toasted nuts in a food processor. Add the salt and the basil leaves, and process again. When the basil drips a bright green liquid, add the grated cheese. With the processor running, slowly add the olive oil through the feeding tube. Process only until blended.

3. Serve immediately over pasta or gnocchi, or freeze in half-cup portions.

Note: We divide the pesto into half-cups batches, eating one immediately, and freezing the other. It is a beautiful bright green color, and looks very cheerful in the middle of winter when vegetables are scarce. Also, with frozen pesto and those shelf-stable gnocchi, you can make an amazing dinner in literally 15 minutes.

Recipe from "Edible East Bay" Magazine