Ingredients:

  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (50g)
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted (50g)
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (50g)
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (120ml)
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (15ml)
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1 lb pasta (Trofie, Fusilli, or Linguine) (450g)
  • 1/2 cup pasta cooking water (120ml)

Instructions:

  1. Place the toasted pine nuts and garlic cloves into the food processor. Pulse several times until they are coarsely chopped.
  2. Add the fresh basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, and lemon juice. Pulse until the mixture is combined but still slightly textured.
  3. While the processor is running on low, slowly drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream to create a stable emulsion. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Boil the pasta in heavily salted water until just under al dente. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water.
  5. Drain the pasta and transfer it to a mixing bowl. Pour in the pesto and a splash of the reserved pasta water, tossing until the sauce is glossy and clings to the noodles.