I feel like it is finally summer because there is enough basil in my garden to make pesto. If you have never tried pesto it is a flavoraful basil pure that works great as a pasta sauce or as a filling for quesidillas. It also freezes beautifully.
Here is my favorite recipe.
Spinach Pesto Makes 2-3 cups
5 cups Packed Spinach, washed and dried
½ bunch Parsley
1 Garlic Clove
½ to 1 cup Fresh Basil
½ cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup pine nuts or unsalted shelled sunflower seeds
1 ¼ c grated Parmesan cheese
Put all ingredients into a food processor. Process to a coarse paste, this will take a few minutes, be patient. Serve over pasta (be sure to save some of the pasta cooking water to thin the pesto), or for the filling for a quesadilla.
My other favorite recipe is from April and is in the Hellewell cookbook it is the bread salad. MMM. if you haven't tried it you should.
2 comments:
I had a couple questions about this recipe.
1. How do you measure the fresh spinach/basil? Do you chop it first?
2. Would a blender work the same as a food processor?
3.Do you serve it hot or cold?
4. Do you usually serve it with something else like chicken or just with pasta?
Thanks, I've got the ingredients on my shopping list and basil growing by the bushel, so I am SOOO excited!
Trena,
To measure use a large liquid measuring cup and just pack it in. Do not chop first.
I have never used a blender but It would probably work.
I usually serve it with hot noodles so the noodles heat up the pesto.
I usually serve with some fresh chopped tomatoes and grilled chicken. But it is good either way.
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