Seasonal Recipe
Basil Pesto
Adapted from How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman (Wiley, 1997)
Makes about 1 cup
Traditional pesto is a simple sauce, a combination of basil, garlic, pine nuts, and olive oil. Parmesan cheese, while delicious, is optional, and really, it's all flexible and adjustable to taste. Try it with roasted garlic for sweetness, or grilled garlic for a subtle smokiness. Replace all or part of the basil with other herbs - such as cilantro, parsley, or mint - for a different flavor.
You can also swap out the expensive pine nuts for another. Walnuts have a more assertive flavor, but are a fine choice; just be aware that walnut-based pesto turns darker, and faster, than one made with pine nuts. Really, it's just the way of pesto, as the chemical compounds that make basil taste like, well, basil, are the same ones that cause it to lose its bright green color when tossed with pasta. More browning occurs when you include the stems and leaf bases in the pesto, so you can reduce that by pinching them off as you go. (Stems are the easy ones; leaf bases are hardly worth the effort.)
When you have the chance, make extra pesto. It freezes especially well. Separate it into small portions that you'll use quickly, and they'll thaw in no time, ready for pasta, sandwiches, salad dressings, you name it. Muffin tins - regular or mini size - lined with plastic wrap are great for portioning.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups basil leaves, loosely packed
- 1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp. pine nuts or walnuts
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Salt, to taste
- Combine all of the ingredients, except forthe cheese and about half of the olive oil, in a food processor. Process, scraping down the sides from time to time, and add the remaining oil gradually. If you like it thinner, add extra oil to achieve that consistency. Stir in the Parmesan just before serving, if using.
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