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Pesto

© Laurel Morris

Does your garden have an overabundance of basil this month? If you have already dried a ton of it and given it away to friends and relatives, why not make some pesto?

Pesto is made of simple ingredients: fresh basil, garlic, cheese and olive oil, all ground into sauce. Invented by the Genoese, they claim that it can only be made by hand grinding in a mortar. They claim it releases much more flavor this way. But many cooks swear by the blender or food processor, and for making larger quantities, this seems like the modern method of choice. Also today there are many variations of this recipe, and we will explore some of them.

One factor to remember when making pestos is the ratio of cheeses, which is important to keep the flavor balance. The suggested ratio is four parts of parmesan to one part romano. Original recipes do not even include pine nuts, but that is a very common ingredient today.

Tips: Wash basil and dry thoroughly before measuring. For larger leaves, tear into halves or thirds to get a good measurement of the quantity needed. Pesto can be frozen, but do not mix in the cheeses or butter. Fill jars with the mixture, cap tightly and store in the freezer. Just thaw it out a day before the planned use, and then add the cheeses to this blend.

Recipes:

Basic Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons Romano pecorino cheese
3 tablespoons butter, softened
Pasta (your choice)

Directions:
Boil pasta according to package directions; rinse and drain. Place the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, cloves and salt in the blender; mix on high, scraping ingredients down with a spatula as needed. When evenly mixed, scoop into a bowl and add cheeses, mixing by hand. Add the butter last. Before using the pesto, add two tablespoons of the water used to boil the pasta.

Tomato Zucchini pesto
(bread machine recipe)

Ingredients:
6 oz pasta, uncooked
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp water
1 medium zucchini, cut into circles
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

Directions:
Prepare pasta per package directions; rinse and drain. In a blender, process basil, oil, garlic and sugar. Add parmesan and ricotta; blend again. Steam zucchini in microwave for 4 minutes on high; drain, then stir in pasta and cheese mixture.

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