Pesto Alla Cesare Recipe

Chef Cesare Casella, Dean of the Italian Culinary Academy and Owner, Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto, teamed up with the National Pasta Association to celebrate National Pasta Month! He shares with us his favorite pasta recipe – Pesto Alla Cesare! Watch Cesare make this recipe!

Ingredients:

3 oz fresh basil leaves
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 oz pine nuts
1 clove of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 oz freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano DOP cheese
1 oz freshly grated pecorino Romano DOP cheese
2 oz boiled green beans cut into 1 inch sections
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Put the basil, a spash of olive oil, pine nuts, garlic clove, salt and pepper in a food processor or a mortar. If using a food processor, make sure the blending is done at a pulse, rather than a constant rate of speed. Blend coarsely, stopping from time to time to scrape down the sides. Keep adding olive oil little by little, until the ingredients are well mixed. Add 3/4 of the cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the pasta, drain and place in a bowl. Add the sauce mixture, 1/2 cup of the water the pasta was cooked in, and the green beans. Stir all items together very well to ensure the pasta is completely coated with the sauce mixture.

Taste for seasoning and balance with salt and black pepper. Cover with a layer of oil to preserve until use.