Basil-Butter Pasta

​It has been a very rainy May here in Georgia, and as a result my little herb garden is already overflowing. I was looking for something to do with all this basil and came across this recipe for Basil-Butter Pasta from NYT Cooking and thought I’d give it a try in the Delaney Test Kitchen.

This was like eating a very light pesto. It smelled like summer, and the basil was in every bite. It was a huge hit. And while the recipe says it takes 40 minutes, we got it done in 30 once we staged everything. The “hardest” thing was harvesting the basil.

​This was a great summer dinner recipe, but it would be great for lunch as well. Enjoy!
 
 
Basil Butter Pasta
(serves 4)
 
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb of any pasta
6 Tb unsalted butter at room temperature, sliced
3 cups (80g) packed basil leaves
 
 
PREPARATION:
 
Step 1:
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Place the basil in a heatproof colander. Once the water is boiling, submerge the colander with the basil into the pot and use a spoon to push the leaves into the water. Blanch for 10 seconds, then immediately rinse the leaves under cold water to stop the cooking. Squeeze them dry with your hands. Reserve the boiling water.
 
 
Step 2:
Transfer the basil to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the butter and process, scraping the sides of the food processor as needed, until very smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use. (Basil butter will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for several months.)
 
 
Step 3:
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until tender. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta. Return the pasta and ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water to the pot, then add the basil butter and toss to coat. (Doesn’t it smell incredible?) If the pasta is dry instead of silky and glossy, add more pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with salt.

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This Basil Butter was so easy to make, and it will also keep for up to a month in the freezer.