This recipe yields enough to sauce 1 pound of pasta. We prefer the flavor of Italian pine nuts here; the container should indicate where they're grown. Use a good-quality, relatively mild extra-virgin olive oil for the best results. When shopping for basil, look for a 4-ounce plastic container of leaves with stems; after stemming, you should have 4 cups of leaves (3 ounces by weight). If you don't have a scale to measure the Parmesan, the amount of processed Parmesan should be about ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons. This pesto is also good on crostini, in sandwiches, on fish, or stirred into soup.

Combine pine nuts and 1 tablespoon oil in 8-inch skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until pine nuts are light golden, 3 to 6 minutes. Spread pine nuts out on plate and let cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts water to boil in medium saucepan. Remove and discard basil stems from leaves (you should have 4 cups leaves [3 ounces by weight]). Add basil leaves and 1½ teaspoons salt to boiling water and cook until basil is wilted and bright green, 5 to 10 seconds. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer basil directly to salad spinner and spin to remove excess water. Spread basil on clean dish towel to dry. (If you don't have a salad spinner, drain basil on clean dish towel and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.)

Process Parmesan in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds; transfer to medium bowl. Process garlic, pine nuts, basil, salt, and remaining oil in now-empty processor until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer pesto to bowl with Parmesan and stir to combine. Serve

TO MAKE AHEAD: Place pesto in sealable 1-pint container and cover with additional 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

How to Make Pesto

Setting the Color

Not All Pine Nuts are Created Equal