Pesto Genovese
Lunch, September 3, 2008. Just like a real Genovese I had potato chunks and green beans as well as pasta with my pesto.
It has taken all summer to get here, but the basil that survives is finally growing well and the snails seem to be tired of it, too. This is how I made one food processer worth of basil leaves into lunch and a frozen pesto packet.
Pesto Genovese
basil leaves to fill the food processor from 3/4 full to full
2-4 cloves of garlic– today’s were large so it was 2
some salt, today 1/4 teaspoon
great olive oil QB or however much it takes
a handful of pine nuts or walnuts — why do I say that? I have never used walnuts.
1 ounce of Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
Wash and dry the basil. It is said to be very important that the basil be thoroughly dried, whereas I believe it comes out of a salad spinner dry enough. Peel the garlic.
Start the food processor spinning and using the feed tube, drop in the garlic and let it mince. Stop the processor and put the basil in it. Use the pulse switch until the basil is all chopped into smallish pieces, then switch on to full power and start pouring olive oil in through the feed tube. Stop the machine once or twice to scrape the sides down. You can also see how much salt you want to use at the same time. Drop the pine nuts in and let them chop fairly finely. Add the grated cheese and continue to process. Add oil until you have a smooth, almost runny green slurry. Turn it off.
If you had been cooking the pasta, potatoes and beans while you processed, your lunch would be done. From going into the garden, through washing and drying the basil and processing the sauce, this is a fifteen minute project. It almost takes longer to grate the cheese.
Italian purists will tell you this is not pesto but frullato, because I did not make it in a mortar and pestle but in a frullatore. I don’t mind. It was really, really good!
It was so good I decided to send it to Presto Pasta Night, hosted this week by Abby of “Eat The Right Stuff”.
10 comments September 3rd, 2008
