It is that time of year again…PESTO season! The basil plants of strength should be filling in with thick, fragrant green leaves. Just this morning, I harvested over 2 cups of gigantic leaves off my one and only plant this year. This is its second harvest this season. As I sat on the stoop next to my basil plant, I was greeted by the sweet, smooth aroma of its leaves. I picked and picked, clipping each leaf from its stem and found, rather quickly, that I had two handfuls of basil leaves.
That’s perfect for today’s recipe: 2 cups. But in years passed, I’ve found my basil plant to not grow as flourished. And if this is the case for you, fear not…simply substituting in spinach can be a nice, more subtle pesto sauce. (I’ve provide the alternative to the recipe below.)
To start, I cold wash the leaves several times. First I prepare a cold bath for my new harvest. The leaves are dirty and soil is caked on pretty well. The bath will ease the dirt’s grip and remove the bulk of the dirt. Then I wash each leaf rubbing my fingers gently up and down both the front and backside of the leaf. You can feel the dirt wipe away. Lastly I do an intense cold water rinse of the leaves. Then I typically like to lay them out on the counter (on a dishrag) and pat them dry before letting them sit out for an hour or so.
Fresh Herb and Nut Pesto
Servings: about 6oz.
Ingredients:
2 cups of fresh basil, chopped
1/3 cup walnuts
4 cloves of garlic
½ cup olive oil
½ cup grated pecorino romano
½ tsp salt
Several dashes of black pepper
Begin with the marriage of the leaves and nuts. I use a food processor and it makes the job easy and delish. Blend basil and walnuts. I stop, scrap the sides, and pulse a few times. I don’t want to lose the essence of each ingredient, its individuality and its blended combination. **We don't waste the pesto to become a paste. Over blending will cause this. I like to be able to still see the individual ingredients.
Italian Herb Pasta Bowls, Set of 5
Pulse 4 cloves of garlic. Slowly add olive oil, pulsing every tablespoon or two. Add cheese and pulse just to blend. Finish with salt and pepper to taste.
Italian Herb Pasta Bowls, Set of 5
Pulse 4 cloves of garlic. Slowly add olive oil, pulsing every tablespoon or two. Add cheese and pulse just to blend. Finish with salt and pepper to taste.
Basil-Spinach Pesto
Servings: about 6oz.
Ingredients:
1 cup of fresh basil, chopped
1/3 cup walnuts
3 cloves of garlic
½ cup olive oil
1 cup cooked, chopped spinach
1 cup cooked, chopped spinach
½ cup grated pecorino romano
½ tsp salt
Several dashes of black pepper
This recipe follows the same procedures as above, simply substituting 1 cup of bail for 1 cup of cooked spinach. The spinach will tone down the pesto, giving it a milder flavor. For this reason, I put one less garlic clove in the recipe/
This recipe follows the same procedures as above, simply substituting 1 cup of bail for 1 cup of cooked spinach. The spinach will tone down the pesto, giving it a milder flavor. For this reason, I put one less garlic clove in the recipe/
