Serve with:
- Hand Cut
- All Hand Formed
- Classic Ravioli
- Corzetti Stampati
- Farfalle
- Lasagne
- Meyer Lemon & Herb Ricotta Gnocchi Dough
- Ricotta Gnocchi Dough
- Busiate
- Foglie d’ulivo
Ingredients
- 1 navel orange
- 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 2 tablespoons (20 grams) capers in brine, drained (optional)
- 2 tablespoons (20 grams) pine nuts
- ⅓ cup (50 grams) shelled raw or lightly salted pistachios
- 2 cups (45 grams) fresh basil leaves
- 1 ounce (30 grams) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
Directions
- Pop your food processor blade in the freezer while you prepare the ingredients. This will help prevent the basil from discoloring.
- Grate the zests of the orange and lemon into a medium bowl. Cut the ends off both fruits so they stand upright, then cut away the peel and the white pith. Using a sharp knife, segment the orange by cutting between the segment walls—catch any juice on your cutting board and remove any seeds. Repeat with half of the lemon (save the rest for another use). Add the segments and juice to the bowl. Stir in the garlic and capers and let marinate for 15 minutes.
- Add the nuts to the bowl of the food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the basil and citrus mixture. Pulse in short bursts, no more than a couple seconds at a time, until well combined but still with some texture. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the cheese, then slowly stream in the oil, mixing constantly, until creamy. Season to taste with salt.
- Cook your pasta of choice to your liking and transfer it directly to a large, heatproof (preferably metal) mixing bowl (if draining, reserve 1 cup (240 ml) pasta cooking water). Spoon most of the pesto over the pasta and toss well until luscious and creamy. Add more pesto and loosen with cooking water as needed until the pasta is well coated. Divide among bowls and serve, topped with more cheese if you’d like. Reserve any remaining pesto for another use.