Basil,+Spinach+and+Arugula+Pesto

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Vai Restaurant Many people make pesto from fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, cheeses and butter. The basil is raw, as is the garlic. The result? Pungent and delicious. At [|Vai] in Manhattan, Vincent Chirico, the executive chef and owner, briefly blanches the essential greens — basil or chervil, spinach and arugula — until they become bright green and tender. He then plunges the vegetables into an ice bath, drains and squeezes them dry, and then blends them with garlic confit, hazelnuts and ricotta salata. The result? Less pungent, but still delicious. Asked why he makes a cooked, rather than raw, pesto, he said, “I prefer it cooked. It seems more palatable, it keeps its color better, it emulsifies better, it coats the pasta a little bit better.” The swift blanching of the vegetables barely diminishes the freshness, he said, and by simmering the garlic in olive oil, the garlic confit adds both a mellowness and creaminess. At Vai, Mr. Chirico uses chervil, rather than basil, because he always has a lot of it on hand. Chervil, however, is not easy to find at supermarkets, or even at greenmarkets, so he suggests substituting basil, which is much more available.

Basil, Spinach and Arugula Pesto
//Yield// 2 servings //Time// 1 hour Adapted from Vincent Chirico, Executive Chef and Owner, Vai

For the garlic confit:

 * 3/4 cup olive oil, or as needed
 * 10 cloves garlic

For the pesto:

 * 4 ounces basil or chervil
 * 2 ounces baby spinach
 * 2 ounces baby arugula
 * 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and finely ground
 * 1/4 cup ricotta salata, grated
 * Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Method
Source: Adapted from Vincent Chirico, Executive Chef and Owner, Vai
 * 1. For the garlic confit. Heat 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a small pan over low heat until warm. Add garlic cloves and cook until very soft, about 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic cloves, reserving both cloves and oil.
 * 2. For the pesto: Have a large bowl of ice water ready. In a small pot over high heat, bring 4 cups of water to a boil, and blanch basil or chervil until tender, about 30 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon and transfer to ice water. Place spinach and arugula in boiling water until bright green and tender, about a minute. Drain well and transfer to ice water. When greens are well chilled, drain well, place in a kitchen towel, and squeeze as hard as possible to remove excess moisture.
 * 3. In a blender, combine half the garlic cloves, half of the garlic cooking oil, half of the blanched greens (basil or chervil, spinach, and arugula), half of the hazelnuts and half of the ricotta salata. Blend five minutes.
 * 4. Add the remaining garlic cloves, garlic cooking oil, blanched greens, hazelnuts and ricotta salata. Blend, adding 1/4 cup additional olive oil, or more as needed, for two to five minutes, to make a thick but pourable pesto. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Blend one minute more. If desired, serve over hot linguini or other pasta.
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