Pesto a fabulous sauce….
The ancient Romans ate a paste called moretum, which was made by crushing cheese, garlic and herbs together. Basil, the main ingredient of modern pesto, likely originated in North Africa; however, it was first domesticated in India. Basil took the firmest root in the regions of Italy and France. In French Provence, the dish evolved into the modern pistou, a combination of basil, parsley, crushed garlic, and grated cheese (optional). However, pine nuts are not included. Pesto did not become popular in North America until the 1980s and 1990s. Pesto is traditionally prepared in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle.
First, garlic and pine nuts are placed in the mortar and reduced to a cream, then the washed and dried basil leaves are added with coarse salt and ground to a creamy consistency. Only then is a mix of Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino added. To help incorporate the cheese, a little extra-virgin olive oil is added. In a tight jar (or simply in an air-tight plastic container), covered by a layer of extra-virgin olive oil, pesto can last in the refrigerator up to a week, and can also be frozen for later use. Sorry but I am not doing it the “traditional way” as I love to use the blender for this. Pesto is commonly used on pasta. Because pesto is a generic term for anything that is made by pounding, there are various other pestos, some traditional, some modern. For this reason, the original (and most common) pesto is now called pesto alla genovese or pesto genovese (both forms are used in both English and Italian). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesto
Basil Pesto
4 garlic cloves
3/4 cup pine nuts (1/4 pound) I toast mine to give extra flavor
2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
7 cups packed Basil leaves
5 tablespoons olive oil (add more if needed)
In a blender or a food processor, add the garlic, pine nuts, cheeses, a large handful of basil, and 1 teaspoon pepper as well as salt to taste and process until chopped. With motor running, add oil and blend until incorporated.
You will get so much for such a small amount of effort and a fraction of the price of store bought.
As you see, we labeled it “spicy” and that is because we bought some habanero olive oil from the Tampa Olive Oil Company and used a small portion of that with the regular olive oil.
Pesto keeps, its surface covered with plastic wrap, chilled, 1 week. Pesto can be frozen in sealed plastic bags (press out any excess air) up to 3 months or as you see I freeze in jars with a thin layer of olive oil on top. For pasta with pesto: Put 2/3 cup pesto in a large bowl. Cook 1 lb linguine or spaghetti until al dente, then whisk about 1/3 cup pasta-cooking water into pesto. Add drained pasta to pesto with salt and pepper to taste, then toss well. Serve with additional grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
There are so many variations which makes pesto a very flexible sauce. I have used walnuts instead of pine nuts, as well as, cilantro or spring onions in the place of the basil.
Disney has a recipe for “Green Papaya Salad” which used a Thai Pesto.
1 cup fresh basil leaves
2 cups cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves
4 tablespoons light oil or fragrant nut oil (like macadamia nut oil)
3 tablespoons macadamia nuts, toasted
1. Combine the first five ingredients in a food processor or blender to form a paste.
2. Drizzle in oil to form a pesto consistency.
3. Add nuts and pulse until chopped.