Cappellini with Pesto Genovese, updated
Our fresh basil plants keep growing. It's about Pesto time again! I was flipping Saveur Aug/Sep 2011 issue that featured Pesto. Their classic basil pesto recipe blanch the basil leaves in boiling water, then quickly let them shocked in ice water "to give the sauce a brilliant green hue and to reduce any bitterness." I took the simple but extra step with my usual Pesto Genovese recipe. I also toasted garlic clove with pine nuts, which is my new standard. The result was surprising. Blanching clearly helped reduce bitterness. It actually enhanced sweetness of basil. Now I know what I need to do to make pesto next time.
