Thanks but No Thanks to Pesto!

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Pesto

I tried pesto ONCE and that was enough for me. I felt like a cow grazing in a field of grass. I didn't like the taste but the texture was the worst thing... looks like grass!!! Now, whenever I see pesto recipes, I just SOB (scroll on by). It did look good on t.v. but now I just MOO-ve to another channel when they prepare it. :) /rayt721
 
I always toast my pine nuts. I think it really brings out a better flavor in my pesto.

It sounds to me like you might have a little too much garlic, but as long as you don't feel that that is the overpowering taste then you are probably OK.

Another thing you might want to try is when you put the pasta and pesto on your plate, add a little bit of the pasta cooking water. I know this sounds weird, but it is an old restaurant trick. Your pesto could be too think. It should be sort of loose and should coat the noodles. If you add a little of the pasta cooking water (complete with the starch and salt) it will thin the pesto out a bit and make your dish not and moist, but not too wet. Add just a little at a time (a tablespoon or two) until you get the right consistency.

You can use just about anything to make pesto. It does not just have to be basil. Try any other greens you can think of. The tastes will vary greatly, but you just may stumble upon something new that you love.
 
about basil...

Another thing that you should think about is the age of your basil leaves. As basil leaves get older and larger, they begin to taste more and more bitter. This could be the reason you were unhappy with your pesto.

If you have basil plants, pick only the medium and small leaves. Also, make sure to deadhead the plant. Once a basil plant begins to flower, the leaves will begin to get really bitter.

I have a pesto recipe that I'm really happy with, but my pesto will taste completely different (and terrible) if I use older, large leaves. However, when I use younger leaves, it's transcendental.

I also toast my pine nuts. And if the raw garlic is a problem, cover 3 or 4 cloves with extra v olive oil, put them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. You will be able to pierce the cloves with a fork, and the garlic will be creamy. Put those cloves into your pesto along with 2 raw cloves. That way, you get garlic flavor,but it's more complex and smooth than if you only put in raw garlic...And if you're really a garlic nut, use the oil you cooked the garlic in as the oil for your pesto.

Good luck!
 
A couple of things about pine nuts. First, they can go rancid. Second, I hate the taste of raw pine nuts ... they taste like sucking on a pinecone to me, but if you roast them they get a different flavor.

Okay - roasted pine nuts, with the basil, cheese and a good extra virgin oilive oil - pesto is quite nice if you don't over do it.
 

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