Mmm, pesto. It's such a prefect summertime condiment. Whether it's used over warm pasta or as a sandwich spread, it'll compliment so many dishes. I'm not sure which is my favorite part of it though - the taste or the ease or preparing it. You grab the ingredients, toss them in a food processor, and blend. In just minutes you can have fresh pesto.
The kids love to eat basil straight from our plant. I always tease them that I'll never have enough to actually cook with. The plant has gotten huge recently and I finally got a chance to whip up some yummy pesto to serve with dinner. We were out of parmesan cheese the time, so we substituted mozzarella instead. After all, they're both white cheeses. Same thing, right?
I'm kidding! We're a very big cheese family (not to be confused with a cheesy family.) Friulano, gruyère, pinconning, anyone? Hand us a chunk of cheese and we'll be happy.
Anyway, all that to say that I know very well there is a huge difference between parsemsan and mozzarella, but you gotta do what ya gotta do. Maybe it was the fresh, homegrown basil or maybe it was the garlic straight from my parents' garden, but the pesto was still pretty stinkin' yummy even with the substituted cheese. I guess you just can't go wrong with pesto.
Pesto
Ingredients:
3 cups packed fresh basil leaves
4 cloves garlic
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
3 cups packed fresh basil leaves
4 cloves garlic
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Combine basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, nuts, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend to a smooth paste.
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