Sunday, September 5, 2010

presto, pesto!

remember that basil i bought at the farmer's market yesterday?  well it has magically turned in to the most delightful sauce in existence.  if you've never made pesto before (and shamefully buy it in the little green tubs at the grocery), here's a crash course.  you'll never buy store-made pesto again!

here's what you'll need:  one big, fresh bunch of basil, half a cup of baby spinach leaves, about a cup of olive oil (you can use whatever you have on hand... i'm not an extra-virgin only kind of girl-- pure or light colored olive oils work just fine!  just find the flavor that you like the most.), about a quarter cup of REAL parmesan cheese, (please, please do not buy the stuff in the plastic container with a shake top.  that is for certain not real parmesan and will make the pesto taste fake), and salt/pepper to taste.

if you are fortunate enough to own the most wonderful as-seen-on-TV gadget known to man, the Magic Bullet! (please note the bad acting), this is the perfect time to whip it out.  look what it can do:


turns in to... 


make sure the basil is good and clean, and pick off all the leaves right in to the Bullet (or respective food processor).  do the same with the baby spinach.  **note:  i like to add some spinach to the classic basil pesto because 1) it keeps the finished pesto from being too strong, and 2) it stretches your pesto if you are using it as a sauce or don't have enough basil to make a full batch.  try it!**  add a good splash of olive oil (about 1/4 cup) and blend until the basil/spinach begins to break down.  then add half of the fresh grated parmesan cheese (this is another thing you can do in your Bullet!) and another 1/4 of olive oil and blend again.  your pesto should start to loosen up and look more like a sauce than a thick bunch of green goo.  add a sprinkling of salt and a hefty crack of fresh pepper, the rest of the parm, and the rest of the olive oil (use your eye-- add as much as it takes for the pesto to become saucy).

**classic pestos tend to have pine nuts crushed up inside too, but as i am not a nut fan, i leave them out.  but you are certainly welcome to add them if you'd like!

now, if you are using the pesto immediately, blend it to the saucy consistency.  but if you are saving it for later and popping it in the fridge, go a little shy on the olive oil for now.  the pesto will sit and thicken slightly, so when you are ready to use it, add a splash more olive oil and stir to achieve that perfect consistency!

you can use this bad-boy on anything-- over pasta (classic), as a topping for steak, chicken, or fish, or even spread it on a crust or a focaccia loaf for a nice base for a great pizza pie.  and here it is!


and here, ready to chill in the fridge!




once you taste this, you'll be a pesto-maker forever!

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