My wonderful friend handed me a beautiful bunch of basil yesterday as she came into class. The smell was awesome! Due to extreme laziness, I neglected to plant any of my own basil this year so my tomato deluge has been lacking any basil to garnish or enhance it. Last night, I remedied the situation by whipping up some pesto.
I know what you're thinking! But you don't eat pasta!?! Yes, you're right, normally I avoid all grain products. But last night I decided on a splurge. We boiled up a package of Trader Joe's Brown Rice Spaghetti. If you only ever use wheat pasta, you might find the texture of the rice noodles a tad bit strange, but I really like the chewy stickiness. Of course, rice pasta is also gluten-free. We added a couple of ounces of shredded chicken breast per person for protein and a pile of fresh, chopped tomatoes over the top.
Pesto is one of those sauces that you can whip up at the last minute since it needs no cooking. It is easiest to use a food processor, but a heavy-duty blender might also work. Originally pesto was made by hand, in a mortar and pestle, but most of us don't have the time for that today. When I make pesto, I never measure anything. I just wing it! So the amounts I have listed in this recipe are very approximate. Feel free to change the balance of flavors and the texture but adjusting the amounts of each ingredient to suit your taste. I lean toward a thick paste of a sauce, while some people prefer a runnier version with more oil. Do what you like.
Because of the fresh basil leaves, pesto is best used immediately after blending. When it sits around, even in the fridge, the leaves begin to turn black. This doesn't alter the taste, but it is not nearly as pretty.
Begin with 2-3 large cloves of garlic, peeled. Toss those into the food processor and whiz them around until finely chopped. Throw in a small handful (about 1/3 cup) of toasted pine nuts. (You can substitute toasted walnuts or almonds.) Blend until the nuts are also finely ground. Add a large handful of basil leaves. Try to remove all the stems as these are much more bitter than the leaves. Pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over the leaves. Process by pulsing until the leaves are all finely chopped. At this point you can add more basil if you have more. Drizzle more olive oil over the leaves and blend again. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you want your pesto to be more liquid, continue adding oil until your desired texture is achieved. Taste and add more seasonings if needed.
I always leave the parmesan cheese out of the pesto and just sprinkle it over the top instead. If you plan to freeze your pesto, this works better without the parmesan.
To serve, make a small pile of hot pasta in the middle of your plate. Dollop some blobs of pesto on top and toss lightly. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the pasta and then add a layer of chopped fresh tomatoes. Enjoy!
I know what you're thinking! But you don't eat pasta!?! Yes, you're right, normally I avoid all grain products. But last night I decided on a splurge. We boiled up a package of Trader Joe's Brown Rice Spaghetti. If you only ever use wheat pasta, you might find the texture of the rice noodles a tad bit strange, but I really like the chewy stickiness. Of course, rice pasta is also gluten-free. We added a couple of ounces of shredded chicken breast per person for protein and a pile of fresh, chopped tomatoes over the top.
Pesto is one of those sauces that you can whip up at the last minute since it needs no cooking. It is easiest to use a food processor, but a heavy-duty blender might also work. Originally pesto was made by hand, in a mortar and pestle, but most of us don't have the time for that today. When I make pesto, I never measure anything. I just wing it! So the amounts I have listed in this recipe are very approximate. Feel free to change the balance of flavors and the texture but adjusting the amounts of each ingredient to suit your taste. I lean toward a thick paste of a sauce, while some people prefer a runnier version with more oil. Do what you like.
Because of the fresh basil leaves, pesto is best used immediately after blending. When it sits around, even in the fridge, the leaves begin to turn black. This doesn't alter the taste, but it is not nearly as pretty.
Begin with 2-3 large cloves of garlic, peeled. Toss those into the food processor and whiz them around until finely chopped. Throw in a small handful (about 1/3 cup) of toasted pine nuts. (You can substitute toasted walnuts or almonds.) Blend until the nuts are also finely ground. Add a large handful of basil leaves. Try to remove all the stems as these are much more bitter than the leaves. Pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over the leaves. Process by pulsing until the leaves are all finely chopped. At this point you can add more basil if you have more. Drizzle more olive oil over the leaves and blend again. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you want your pesto to be more liquid, continue adding oil until your desired texture is achieved. Taste and add more seasonings if needed.
I always leave the parmesan cheese out of the pesto and just sprinkle it over the top instead. If you plan to freeze your pesto, this works better without the parmesan.
To serve, make a small pile of hot pasta in the middle of your plate. Dollop some blobs of pesto on top and toss lightly. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the pasta and then add a layer of chopped fresh tomatoes. Enjoy!
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