Skip to main content

Pesto My Way

Do you have a favorite pasta sauce?  I do.  It's pesto.  To my mind, the pure flavor of basil, pine nuts, extra virgin olive oil & a bit of garlic and cheese makes it the perfect pasta sauce.  These days there are so many things labeled "pesto" in cookbooks and at supermarkets, that I think we tend to forget the original Genoese version.  The basil should be farmer's market or garden fresh, the extra virgin olive oil should be your favorite kind (I like Spanish) and the Parmesan should be grated by hand (the kind you find in a can doesn't work).  I actually had to take measurements to provide you with a recipe, but I normally just eyeball it when I make this at home.  I keep it on hand at all times because it's so delicious.  Let me show you how easy it is to make.


The Ingredients

  • 2 packed cups fresh basil, washed and dried--organic of possible
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced or pushed through a garlic press
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts--almonds or walnuts can be substituted
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 2 big pinches of coarse kosher salt
  • 1 pinch of freshly cracked pepper

Place your basil, nuts and garlic in the bowl of your food processor.  Pulse until coarsely chopped.  Add your cheese, salt and pinch of pepper.


With the machine running, add your extra virgin olive oil until the mixture is smooth.  This doesn't even take a minute.


This is your finished sauce.  Bright green and pungent.  You can use this right away or you can store it in the
refrigerator for a few days.  If you're going to store it or use it in a few hours, I strongly suggest you put a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the sauce or it will turn a muddy brown color.


I always freeze mine to have on hand.  Simply divide the sauce into an ice cube tray and place in the freezer.  Once frozen, remove the cubes and store in a resealable freezer bag.  One cube is enough for about 4 oz. of pasta.  Some cooks will frown upon the fact that I add the cheese & then freeze the sauce, but I've been doing it this way for over a decade & it has always tasted good to me.


This favorite sauce of mine is suitable for so many types of pasta shapes.  I prefer to have it on linguine or thin spaghetti, but I've been known to throw it on rotini, bucatini, orzo, farfalle, penne, orecchiette and even ravioli.  Don't limit yourself to pasta though.  Try it on boiled potatoes or perhaps some steamed asparagus.  A few dollops of this on bruschetta or on a slice of pizza also works well.  Enjoy it and Buon Appetito!
   


Comments

  1. This looks really good. If your pesto turns that brown color, does it mean you shouldn't eat it? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. No, you can still eat your pesto if it turns that color. It just doesn't look too appetizing on a plate. Putting plastic wrap on the surface of the sauce, if you're not using it right away or putting a film of olive oil to cover it, will keep your pesto bright green. Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello David,
    This post is very nice. The food is very delicious to look at. I can't wait to try this. Thank you for sharing the ingredients and recipe. Hope your next recipe will published soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Zoniv, I think you're going to like this pesto. It's my favorite pasta sauce for linguine, thin spaghetti, angel hair pasta or even penne.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Thank You for Posting!

Popular posts from this blog

Antique Salt Cellars

There was a time when salt cellars played an important role on the dining table for the host or hostess.  As a result of it being such an expensive commodity several hundred years ago, salt was seen as a luxury and it was the well to do that made salt cellars quite fashionable & a status symbol for the home.  A single salt cellar usually sat at the head of the table and was passed around throughout the meal.  The closer one sat to the salt cellar, the more important one was deemed by the head of the household.  Smaller cellars that were more accessible and with an open top became a part of Victorian table settings.  Fast forward to the 20th century when salt was no longer a luxury and when anti caking agents were added to make salt free-flowing, and one begins to see salt cellars fall out of fashion.  Luckily for the collector and for those of us who like to set a table with Good Things , this can prove to be a boon. Salt cellars for the table come in silver, porcelain, cut glass

Collecting Jadeite

With its origins dating back to the 1930s, jadeite glassware began its mass production through the McKee Glass Co. in Pennsylvania. Their introduction of the Skokie green & Jade kitchenware lines ushered in our fascination with this jade color.  Glassmakers catered jadeite to the American public as an inexpensive alternative to earthenware soon after the Depression, both for the home and for its use in restaurants.  The Jeanette Glass Company and Anchor Hocking introduced their own patterns and styles, which for many collectors, produced some of the most sought after pieces.  Companies marketed this beautiful glass under the monikers of jadite , jadeite , jade glass , jad-ite , jade-ite , so however you want to spell it, let it draw you in for a closer look.  If you want a thorough history of the origins of jadeite, collectors’ pricing, patterns & shapes (don’t forget the reproductions in 2000), I highly suggest picking up the book by Joe Keller & David Ross called, Jadei

How to Paint a Chair

If you have ever felt the need to spruce up a set of chairs or give them a new look, why not try a little bit of paint?  Our tastes in decor and color will probably alter throughout our lives, and at some point, we may find ourselves wanting to change the look of our furniture without having to spend a lot of money.  That's where a few handy tips, some tools from the hardware store, and good-quality paint come in handy.   I know I'm not alone in paying visits to local antique shops, antique fairs and flea markets, and falling in love with pieces of furniture that would be perfect if they were just a different color.  You don't have to walk away from a good purchase simply because it's the wrong color.   My dear friend, Jeffrey, is forever enhancing his home with collectibles from flea markets and tag sales.  However, certain items aren't always up to Jeffrey's tastes when he brings them home.  He is the type of person who won't hesitate to chang