I don’t know how Pesto, the combination of Basil, garlic, nuts and cheese came into being. Reading cook books and newspaper articles and listening to Italian Cooking show hosts it seems that Basil was something of a sacred herb around the Mediterranean and in times long past only religious figures of some importance were allowed to pick it; it’s been said that the very name Basil comes from the same root as Basilica which as far as I remember means something like ‘the big church where the Bishop hangs his Mitre’.

The actual name of the good thing produced by mashing all these things together “Pesto” comes from the instrument used to make it, the pestle as in Mortar and Pestle. This is the bowl and club like instrument that used to be on Druggist’s signs and prescription pads. The only thing I have ever had actually made in this ancient device is guacamole, but that is another piece for another culture all together.

The first time I encountered Pesto was one summer in Connecticut and it was made fresh in a Waring blender by an Italiofile and was mostly garden fresh basil whirled around in a blender with a little garlic, olive oil and pine nuts. To this emulsion was added some grated cheese. It was awfully good and I came to think of Pesto as a garlic flavored Basil sauce. This is very serviceable and quite nice, but at some point in my explorations I found an ancient and forgotten volume that described Pesto not as Basil seasoned with garlic, but as Garlic flavored with Basil. Basil was sacred once upon a time, remember, and garlic has never suffered from sanctimony.

Garlic – many garlics anyway – is not necessarily an aggressive, hot, stinky herb. Many garlics are mild and somewhat sweet although these are hard to find in two packs in grocery stores. Indeed, most bulk garlic found in grocery stores is particularly pungent and strong and worthy of circumspection. If you find a pinkish garlic or ‘French’ garlic at the market, try it out. It really is different. It’s garlic, there’s no mistaking that, but it is much less assertive.

A typical Pesto recipe from The Concise Gastronomy of Italy, Anna Del Conte is

2,1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

2 cups Basil leaves

1 Garlic clove, peeled

big pinch of sea salt

4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

2 tablespoons freshly grated sharp Pecorino cheese

½ cup extra virgin olive oil, preferably Ligurian.

Put Basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts and salt in food processor an process until becomes a paste. Mix in grated cheeses and gradually add oil beating with a wooden spoon.

Some recipes call for no garlic, just Basil, olive oil, cheeses and nuts.  One that doesn’t use any Garlic comes from The Silver Spoon, Phaidon.

25 Fresh Basil Leaves

Scant half cup EV olive oil

½ cup pine nuts

1 cup Parmesan Cheese

½ cut Roman cheese

salt

Put basil leaves in a food processor with the olive oil, pine nuts and pinch of salt. Process briefly at medium speed. Add the grated cheeses and process again.

Serve on asparagus, egg dishes, spaghetti or gnocchi.

That’s good Pesto, but to build the blood and warm the spirit try it this way. Peel a couple of heads of mild garlic. Be brave; That’s heads, not cloves. Get to the garden and collect a good sized bunch of Basil leaves and a slightly smaller amount of Italian Parsley leaves. Toast a half cup of Pine nuts –more if you like nuts - or blanched almonds, walnuts or, in a pinch, pecans and stuff all this into the Cuisinart or food processor of your choice and add a half cup of best quality olive oil. Let ‘er rip pulsing the machine as necessary and scraping the sides of the bowl until all is blended. You might want/need to add more olive oil as you go. You really can’t add too much. Some recipes urge you to avoid peppery oils. Use salt and pepper if you like. I use salt, but very little pepper.

I think Pesto is best when made and used RIGHT NOW. It’s one of the best reasons to plant an herb garden. I usually make it while the pasta is boiling.  To serve it, I grate a lot of cheese, usually pecorino Romano but I have had good success with several hard Italian cheeses. I grate it into the serving bowl and then add the desired amount of pesto to it, stir it together and then put the pasta on top of that and mix from the bottom of the serving dish until everything is coated adding more Pesto or cheese as desired. I use rotelli, or bowties or some sort of textured pasta for this.  If there is left over Pesto in the processor, I put it away with out adding cheese to it. It keeps better that way, but I don’t keep it for long.

Another nice thing to do is boil some potato pieces along with the pasta. Pasta and potatoes. Yeah. Carbs and fresh herbs. What’s better?!