How do you pesto?

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Sagittarius

Senior Cook
Joined
May 2, 2017
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Location
Gerona
According, to Epicurious, some people prefer to use a blender or a Food Processor to prepare their Pesto.

Like Ligurians, I use a giant size wooden Mortar and Pestle and take a ladle of cooking water and drizzle it into the Pesto, before adding the Pasta.

Epicurean Recipe for 6 people and my adoptions follow ..

4 cups of fresh basil leaves ( I grind mine in food processor )

1 / 2 Cup Bio Italian Evoo ( I use same amount more or less )

1/4 Cups minced garlic ( I use 1 1/2 tablespoons )

1/4 Cups Pecorino Sardo (Sardinian Sheep Cheese Grated finely). I use 6 tablespoons. Can substitute Pecorino Romano in North America.

1 / 4 Cups Reggiano Parmesan ( grated finely ). I employ 6 tablespoons.

1 /3 Cup Toasted Pine Nuts ( I use 1 / 4 Cup toasted pine nuts ).


After the basil leaves are finely grounded, I add the Evoo, the 2 cheeses grated finely, the toasted pinenuts and then the minced garlic and Pound Away in a mortar .. One can use a food processor ..

Then I taste test, and add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Pesto can be prepared 1 or 2 days before using and wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in a tupperware type vessel or a small glass casserole with a tight fitting cover ..

Recipe Instructions from Epicurious: Http://Epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/classic-pesto-109802
 
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My recipe is as follows:

The same amount, in terms of a medium sized lettuce, of basil. Get the narrower leaved basil rather than the wider one, as the first has more aroma and flavour. Don't wash the leaves, rather clean them with some paper towel. You can add a little fresh marjoram and fresh parsley as well, if you like, but that's optional. 90-
100g freshly grated pecorino sardo, or Sardinian sheeps cheese. Pecorino sardo is the strongest flavoured of the various hard cheeses that are produced in Italy. You can use 1/2 Pecorino and 1/2 Parmesan, grated - this gives it also a good 'bite' to it, which contrasts well with the sweet basil. 5 large spoonsful of top quality EVOO, preferably cold pressed. 15 - 20g Pine nuts
S & P

The quickest way to do this is to put everything in the blender, on pulse, until you have the consistency of a rough looking sauce. I personally think it comes out better if you do it by hand. Either way, keep tasting as you go. A few months back, there was a discussion about pesto regarding its keeping properties, and how long will it keep after you've made it. It started a huge reaction from my colleagues on it.hobby.cucina, my Italian newsgroup, about the keeping properties, as it was the view of quite a numbers of subscribers that keeping it too long risks botulism. The final advice was that it would be better to freeze the fresh ingredients, i.e. the herbs, that were not available all year round, and proceed to make it up as and when necessary. Having taken part in that debate, I feel obliged to pass that on to all of you. Bye the way, now, if I do buy a jar of ready-made Pesto, I don't keep it for more than ten days in the fridge, and then I junk it. If I don't get round to using it before the sell-buy date, I junk it.


di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde
 
Basil, garlic, Parm. Reg., olive oil, nuts, S&P. Sometimes I use pine nuts and sometimes I use pistachios. Pistachios make an outstanding pesto. I use a machine to make it.
 
Di Reston,

Thank you for your advice .. Definitely shall copy and paste.

It is very similar to mine however, you have some exemplary additions and advice ..

Best regards.

Have a lovely weekend ..
 
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Andy,

Pistachios sound fascinating too .. Shall give it a try !

By the way, your Osso Buco recipe was absolutely amazing.

Thanks again.

23.30 ! Time to get some rest.

I am providing a full tour, for a group in Barcelona showing them the City and its monuments ..
 
We make an oven dried tomato pesto. It is really great just mixed with pasta. The heat of the pasta warms up the pesto and it is perfect for a quick meal.:yum:
 
Mad Cook,

It is much much easier to use a Food Processor than a Mortar & Pestle !!

Don´t feel guilty !! I won´t tell anyone !!

Have a nice day.
 
If folks had food processors a couple of hundred years ago, they certainly would have used them. The only reason they used a mortar and pestle was because they didn't have anything better.
 
If folks had food processors a couple of hundred years ago, they certainly would have used them. The only reason they used a mortar and pestle was because they didn't have anything better.

A mortar and pestle are much better than a rock and a hard place.:ohmy:
 
Andy & Craig C.

Definitely laborious however, worth the pounding !

Have a nice afternoon ..

22.00 Here !
 
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