Pesto, or to refer to the original dish pesto alla genovese, is a sauce originating in Genoa, the capital city of Liguria, Italy. It traditionally consists of crushed garlic, European pine nuts, coarse salt, basil leaves, hard cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Sardo, all blended with olive oil. - Wikipedia
This is such a simple recipe using just 6 main ingredients – basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, lemon juice, olive oil and salt & pepper to taste. It’s so easy that once you give this a go, you wouldn’t buy another off the shelves anymore. It’s fresh! It’s vibrant. It’s healthy. It’s so easy! And you can control the consistency of the pesto by adding more olive oil, if you like them runny. Add more pine nuts if you like more crunch in your pesto or more garlic if you like the extra kick. Lemon juice is optional but I like to add that for the extra acidity.
If you grow your own basil, there is an even larger sense of accomplishment when you actually use the harvested leaves straight out from your own garden.
INGREDIENTS:
Basil Leaves
Pine Nuts
Garlic
Parmesan – grated
Lemon Juice
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
DIRECTIONS:
- Wash basil leaves and pat dry with paper towel.
- Roast the pine nuts on the pan until they are golden brown and slightly burnt. You don’t have to, but I think this gives this gives the pesto a nice roasted aroma to it.
- Combine basil, garlic, pine nuts and Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Turn on the food processor and while it’s running, add extra virgin olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified. Make sure you do not processed it too much because you want to taste all the little bits in your pesto, rather than it becoming too creamy.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use it to make pastas, dips, sauce for your grilled lamp chops!
But you know what, this recipe isn’t really about how to make your own pesto. It’s about using alternative ingredients when you can’t find the “right” ingredients. Which is what I did when I am not able to harvest any basil leaves in my garden and / or I run out of pine nuts.
Try using other green leaves and nuts to make a different kind of “pesto” sauce. You will be amazed at how other ingredients can also give you the same vibrant colour and the same freshness, but varies ever so subtly in taste and flavour.
Give these variations a try:
1) Spinach Pesto with Cashews
Ingredients simply are: spinach leaves,
cashew nuts, garlic, Parmesan, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and salt
& pepper to taste.
2) Rocket Pesto with Pistachios
Ingredients simply are: rocket leaves, pistachio nuts, garlic, Parmesan, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and salt & pepper to taste.
