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1
Reserve 5 or 6 bright-green basil leaves (about 2 tablespoons) and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
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2
Put the remainder of the basil in a small saucepan with all the other ingredients (including the remaining tablespoon of olive oil).
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3
Bring the water to a boil, cover the pot, and boil gently for 15 to 20 minutes.
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4
Remove the cover and boil steadily another 20 minutes or longer, reducing the contents of the pot to 1 cupabout a quarter of the original volume.
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5
Lower the heat if necessary, as liquid evaporates, to avoid burning the sauce ingredients.
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6
When it is sufficiently concentrated, scrape everything from the pot into the bowl of a food processor and puree.
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7
Roughly chop the reserved basil leaves with a knife, then add the pieces to the food processor and puree until theyre incorporated.
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8
Finally, with the machine running, drizzle in the reserved 2 tablespoons of excellent olive oil, to form a light emulsion.
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9
Serve the sauce warm with cooked vegetables; reheat on the stove if it has cooled off.
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10
Store in the refrigerator.
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11
Brussels sprouts
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12
Boiled eggs
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13
Poached leeks
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14
Fresh tomatoes with mozzarella
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15
Poached zucchini
