Pesto Marcella Hazan Recipes

TRADITIONAL ITALIAN BASIL PESTO WITH PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Briefly soak and wash the basil in cold water, and gently pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels.
• Put the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, chopped garlic, lemon juice, and salt in the processor bowl, and process to a uniform consistency; I like mine to be just a bit chunky, not completely smooth.
• Add the softened butter and whirl in just until combined.
• Transfer to a bowl, and mix in the two grated cheeses by hand; this results in a nice texture; better than blending with everything in step two.
• Store in the fridge.

MARCELLA HAZAN'S TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the tomatoes, their juices, the butter and the onion halves in a saucepan. Add a pinch or two of salt.
• Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, mashing any large pieces of tomato with a spoon. Add salt as needed.
• Discard the onion before tossing the sauce with pasta. This recipe makes enough sauce for a pound of pasta.

PESTO - MARCELLA HAZAN

Steps:

• Briefly soak and wash the basil in cold water, and gently pat it thoroughly DRY with paper towels.
• Put the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, chopped garlic, and an ample pinch of salt in the processor bowl, and process to a uniform, creamy consistency.
• Transfer to a bowl, and mix in the two grated cheeses by hand. It is worth the slight effort to do it by hand to obtain the notably superior texture it produces.
• When the cheese has been evenly amalgamated with the other ingredients, mix in the softened butter, distributing it uniformly into the sauce.
• When spooning the pesto over pasta, dilute it slightly with a tablespoon or two of the hot water in which the pasta was cooked.
• Freezing pesto: Make the sauce through to the end of Step 2, cover with a layer of olive oil and freeze it without cheese and butter in it. Add the cheese and butter when it is thawed, just before serving.