Just as there are many different types of sauces, there are also several different types of pasta, each with a different texture and shape. My personal favorite is orecchiette, or “little ears,” perfect to work with just a little butter or a light sauce. The pasta I’ve used here, farfalle, means “butterfly”, and the thicker texture is a good balance for the sweet and flavorful classic pesto.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of fresh basil (about 4 C with stems and branches removed)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 T extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ C pine nuts
- 1⁄3 C grated parmesan cheese
- 1 lb. farfalle
- Thinly shaved parmesan to garnish
Preparation
- Rinse and dry basil leaves. Place into a food processor, and pulse three or four times. Add
garlic and continue to pulse. - Run the food processor and drizzle olive oil 1 T at a time into the processor. Add pine nuts and parmesan and pulse until you have it as smooth or as coarse as you like.
- Be sure to cover the pesto. Exposure to air will turn it brown. This is still edible, but not very pretty. Pesto can be refrigerated for about two weeks.
- Boil farfalle according to directions. Mix pesto to taste into the hot pasta. Top with shavings of parmesan and serve.