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    A pesto king in our midst - Staff photo by Brianna Soukup | of | Share this photo

    Chef Paolo Laboa adds basil that had been soaking in water to pine nuts and olive oil at Solo Italiano. Soaking the leaves in water makes them heavier and helps them blend better, Laboa says.

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    A pesto king in our midst - Staff photo by Brianna Soukup | of | Share this photo

    Chef Paulo Laboa's verdant, velvety pesto alla genovese.

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    A pesto king in our midst - Staff photo by Brianna Soukup | of | Share this photo

    Chef Paolo Laboa adds two kinds of freshly grated cheese into his olive oil, pine nut and basil mixture.

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    A pesto king in our midst - Staff photo by Brianna Soukup | of | Share this photo

    Laboa tastes his pesto. At Solo Italiano, diners go through so much pesto the staff must make it in an industrial-sized blender rather than with a mortar and pestle. Laboa is OK with that: "I think 200 years ago, if they had a blender, they'd use a blender," he jokes.

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    A pesto king in our midst - Staff photo by Brianna Soukup | of | Share this photo

    Laboa begins prepping basil for his pesto at Solo Italiano.

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    A pesto king in our midst - Staff photo by Brianna Soukup | of | Share this photo

    Laboa and line cook Ruth Connelly stem basil to make pesto at Solo Italiano.

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