DS Forums

 
 

Pesto - Food of the gods


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 20-02-2008, 15:11
loppytart
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: arcadia
Posts: 937
I use this recipe from River Cafe Green:-

2 handfuls fresh basil - washed & dried
2 small garlic cloves - peeled
10g pinenuts
50g parmesan
60ml olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt

Crush the salt and some of the basil leaves in a pestle & mortar, add the garlic and more basil leaves, a few at a time. Add the pinenuts and any remaining basil and crush until smooth. Put the sauce into a bowl, fold in the cheese, pour in the olive oil, slowly, stirring and mixing until the sauce has a creamy consistency.

The original recipe calls for a whole teaspoon of salt, which I find a bit excessive. Give it a try and amend the quantities to suit your own taste.
Excellent, thankyou! I will try it out tonight.
loppytart is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 20-02-2008, 16:45
MelodyMaker
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Surrey
Posts: 525
As well as using pesto with pasta and/or new potatoes, I also like to use pesto as a topping, sometimes with a bit of breadcrumbs, on fish or chicken and then baked in oven - yum! Works particularly well with red pesto
MelodyMaker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-02-2008, 19:41
ff999
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Middlesex
Posts: 4,482
I've used pesto with cous cous before, it livens it up as it can be quite bland.
ff999 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-02-2008, 20:41
Muggsy
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 15,980
As well as using pesto with pasta and/or new potatoes, I also like to use pesto as a topping, sometimes with a bit of breadcrumbs, on fish or chicken and then baked in oven - yum! Works particularly well with red pesto
I do that as well.

But today, as it has been a hectic day and I didn't feel like spending time/effort cooking, I just had spaghetti with pesto and salmon flakes. Lovely.
Muggsy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-02-2008, 20:45
Elanor
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 13,041
Kacey's recipe is more or less the same as mine. I don't really use a recipe normally though, I just tend to chuck in the approximate quantities and add more as necessary until it tastes nice and is the right texture. I like to add more garlic and more basil, and usually I just throw it all in the food processor.
Elanor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-02-2008, 21:36
Kacey
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 288
Kacey's recipe is more or less the same as mine. I don't really use a recipe normally though, I just tend to chuck in the approximate quantities and add more as necessary until it tastes nice and is the right texture. I like to add more garlic and more basil, and usually I just throw it all in the food processor.
Hi Elanor - don't you find the basil tastes a bit metalic-y done in the food processor? All the cookbooks say that it does and as I invariably use basil leaves torn in other recipes, I've always automatically made pesto by hand.
Kacey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-02-2008, 20:12
loppytart
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: arcadia
Posts: 937
Hi Elanor - don't you find the basil tastes a bit metalic-y done in the food processor? All the cookbooks say that it does and as I invariably use basil leaves torn in other recipes, I've always automatically made pesto by hand.
Used your recipe last night in food processor and it was fabulous! I added whole pine nuts at the end too.
It didn't taste metal-like at all. Thankyou (i've been looking for a recipe for ages!).
loppytart is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-02-2008, 20:35
Elanor
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 13,041
I had always been told about not cutting basil, and I don't if I'm eating it in salads or anything, but I've never noticed it getting metallic tastes in the pesto I've made.
Elanor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-02-2008, 21:47
Kacey
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 288
Will definitely make my next batch of pesto in the food processor and save me all that crushing by hand!
Kacey is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 18:25.