Pesto - Classic and Walnut Pesto
I love pesto, the smell of basil makes my mouth water, but most of all the sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum, which I only find as plants here in California. The basil you find in bunches at the grocery stores does not taste the same.
My love affair with pesto, started when my fellow student invited me home for dinner, when we were writing on our project for the Bachelor's degree. She had made Pasta with pesto with a insalata caprese. I was hooked, I could live on that, it was the best thing ever. Maybe not the most healthy dish in large quantities, but ohhhhh soooooo yummy!
I use pesto for more than pasta. It’s really tasty on roast beef, a turkey breast topped with prosciutto, on vegetables and potatoes, the options are, almost, endless.
Classic Pesto:
Ingredients:
- 2 large handful basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons roasted pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano
- extra virgin olive oil, just enough to get a paste-like consistency
- salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add more oil a little at a time and process until fully incorporated and you have smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper.
Enjoy
Walnut Pesto
Ingredients:
- 100 g walnuts
- 75 g Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1 lemon, zest of
- 2 cloves garlic
- extra virgin olive oil, just enough to get a thick paste-like consistency
- salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add more oil a little at a time and process until fully incorporated, and you have thick paste. Season with salt and pepper.
Enjoy.