This is a revised and updated version of one of my older diaries. Pesto comes up often enough in the comments that I thought it would be perfect to revisit!
Let's start with the classic, Pesto alla Genovese, the one we are most familiar with. A simple google search will yield recipes galore but it all comes down to this: basil, pine nuts, garlic, cheese and olive oil. As a lovely entry over at Foodess puts it, the best guide to making pesto is the "rule of threes".
3 cups of basil, 3 cloves of garlic, 1/3 cup nuts, 1/3 cup parmigiano reggiano, 1/3 cup oil – and adjust from there.
Now the easiest part is that you can just throw the basil, garlic cloves, pine nuts and cheese into your food processor and give it a whirl then stream in the olive oil until you get the consistency you desire. But what if you don't have a food processor or blender? I mean, they've been making pesto long before those things existed, right? Well you could go with a mortar & pestle and be truly authentic . . .
. . . but I like the knife method. I'll let the wonderful Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks tell us more about this in her wonderful blog post How to Make Pesto Like an Italian Grandmother
The technique here is: chop a bit, add some ingredients, chop some more.
Start chopping the garlic along with about 1/3 of the basil leaves. Once this is loosely chopped add more basil, chop some more, add the rest of the basil, chop some more. I scrape and chop, gather and chop. At this point the basil and garlic should be a very fine mince. Add about half the pine nuts, chop. Add the rest of the pine nuts, chop. Add half of the Parmesan, chop. Add the rest of the Parmesan, and chop. In the end you want a chop so fine that you can press all the ingredients into a basil "cake". Transfer the pesto "cake" to a small bowl (not much bigger than the cake). Cover with a bit of olive oil, it doesn't take much, just a few tablespoons.
Doesn't that sound lovely and rustic? You can put this in the fridge until your pasta (or chicken or whatever you want to put it on) is ready and then dip a spoon into the lusciousness to dollop on your dish. As you drag the spoon into and out of the bowl you will mix the oil into the pesto "cake".
So that is the traditional, let's explore some variations. There are many leafy greens and herbs that make delicious pestos. In a previous What's for Dinner? (Meatless Wonders) I mentioned Parsley and Walnut Pesto. While in that instance it was a topping on a polenta "pizza" it would be wonderful on pasta, steaks, potatoes etc.
Parsley & Walnut Pesto
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup of fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup of toasted walnuts
2 tbsp of lemon juice
2-4 tbsp of olive oil for desired consistency
salt & pepper to taste
If you have a food processor this is all very easy. Drop in the garlic cloves and process until minced. Add the walnuts, parsley, lemon juice and a couple tablespoons of olive oil and process until finely minced and blended. Add more olive oil as needed to reach your desired consistency.
I do not have a "food pro" so I did it by hand, using a ziploc baggie and a meat mallet to crush up the walnuts, mincing the garlic and parsley by hand then blending it all together in a bowl. Then give it a taste and add salt & pepper as needed
Now let's talk cilantro! I have seen a number of cilantro pesto recipes that are very similar to the above recipe as it is often inexpensive (like parsley) and walnuts are much cheaper than pine nuts. Here's a look at my cilantro pesto:
Start by chopping 2-3 cloves of garlic and a large handful (about 2 cups) of fresh cilantro. Chop then scrape, chop and gather, repeat until you have a good mince. Add a handful of walnuts and chop, scrape, etc. Add about 1/3 cup of finely shredded or grated cheese. I used an aged Kasseri but Romano or Parmigiano would be good too. Of course you can leave out the cheese if you prefer.
Continue the chop, scrape, chop, gather process to incorporate the cheese into the mix. When the mixture is thoroughly minced together you can mound it up on your board and then transfer it to a bowl. Then add the freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime and stir.
Finally add about 1/3 cup of olive oil and taste for seasoning. I added a good pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper to mine but if you use Romano or Parmigiano cheese you may not need the extra salt.
I served this luscious cilantro pesto on top of some grilled flatiron steaks and roasted baby yellow potatoes.
Pesto freezes well. So if you make a big batch it's ok. Here's a great way to a save your summer bounty for the winter:
- Drop a tablespoon of pesto into each compartment of an ice cube tray and freeze. Then pop the frozen cubes of pesto into a plastic baggie and stash in the freezer. You can then toss these cubes into soups, stews, pasta etc.
- Pesto is also a great addition to things like mayonnaise or cream cheese. The next time you are grilling burgers or making good old grilled cheese sandwiches mix a tablespoon of your pesto into the mayo or use it just by itself and spread onto the bread/buns.
- Add a dollop of pesto to a bowl of tomato soup or stir it into a bowl of minestrone.
- Use it as a base for homemade pizza instead of tomato sauce.
- It makes a great dip for raw veggies or breadsticks.
Thanks for stopping by What’s for Dinner! What are you having for dinner tonight? Feel free to pull up a chair at our virtual table and share recipes, tips, questions, etc.
If you would like to write about your dinner please send me a message or comment below! We always need volunteers for our weekly diaries!
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