I'm Going Bananas

Gemelli al Pesto

A square white bowl of gemelli pasta tossed in green basil pesto with pine nuts and a basil leaf garnish
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Yield
Serves 4-5
Difficulty
easy

We spent a day in New York City and ate at a wonderful little Italian restaurant named Il Piccolo Bufalo. Both Amanda and I ordered the pesto, and their version was surprisingly quite tasty. So today we decided to post our own family pesto recipe. Our family has many different versions, and they originate from different regions of Italy. This recipe comes from our mom’s cousin, Emilio Botto, who is outright inspirational in the kitchen. His Genovese-style pesto is without a doubt our personal favorite.

Ingredients for pesto labeled -- basil, olive oil, pine nuts, and garlic
The family at a plaza in New York City at night, near the restaurant that inspired this recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh basil, packed (about 2 handfuls)
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 clove garlic
  • A pinch of salt
  • Gemelli pasta, cooked

Instructions

  1. Blend the garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, and salt.
  2. Add the basil to the mixture and blend until the basil leaves are completely chopped.
  3. Remove the mixture from the blender and place in a small bowl.
  4. Stir in the parmesan cheese by hand.
  5. Add more salt to taste if necessary.
  6. Toss with cooked gemelli pasta and serve.