Cooking with Johannes: The Perfect Pesto

Olivia’s husband has the delicious recipe behind a favorite pasta topper.

Photo:@johanneshuebl

While presently at home, the kitchen has become a place of refuge and therapy for many. This includes Olivia's husband, Johannes, who has taken to cooking nightly for the duo. "Our series focused on Italian design had me craving all things Italian. Luckily, Johannes has been the best quarantine partner as he's put his talents to good use in the kitchen," shares Olivia. First up in his recipe repertoire? A simple and easy-to-make pesto sauce (found here) that will have you feeling—and eating—like you're in Rome in only fifteen minutes. The flavors add brightness with a multilayered and multi-textured finish, which livens up any pasta and also works well with prepared proteins like grilled chicken or salmon. For an even greener version, this recipe also pairs well with fresh zucchini spirals as a sub for pasta. But the best part about a pesto? It can be refrigerated or frozen for future use.

Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves (remove stems)
- 2 tablespoons of pine nuts (or walnuts)
- 2 large cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Recipe:
- Combine basil, pine nuts, and garlic in a processor until finely minced
- With the processor running on slow, drip the oil in and continue until mixture is smooth
- Add cheese into the processor and mix for a second to combine

Bonus Tip:
Before serving with pasta, Johannes and Olivia save a portion of the cooked pasta water, and combine with the pesto for an even creamier sauce. Mangia!

Photo: Remi Pyrdol for Claur Magazine
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