How to make Pesto Sauce

 

Pesto sauce has been around since the Middle Ages in Roman and used to help stretch food budgets and the use of oil, garlic, basil and pine nuts. This is a lovely herbaceous sauce that makes any pasta dish that much more desirable. This bright, herbaceous pesto makes pretty much everything taste better so give it a try if you haven’t had it before. You won’t regret it I promise.

You don’t need much to make this sauce, but it is recommended that you have some form of Food processor, or the old-fashioned mortar and pestle. When I was younger, I used the mortar and pestle, but as I got older, I switched to the food processor to save on my arthritis. The other ingredients are simple, and to achieve success in making pesto is to ensure that you add the basil at the last minute. This allows you to retain the color and maximize the taste of the fresh basil.

Ingredients

This recipe will produce about 1 ½ cups of pesto

 ½ cup pine nuts

 ¾ cup of Parmesan cheese grated

 2 garlic cloves, finely grated

 6-7 cups basil leaves  

 ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

 3 tablespoons of butter

 1 tsp. kosher salt

 Assembly

Preheat oven to 350°. On a clean baking sheet spread out your pine nuts. Place baking sheet in oven for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Place pine nuts into the food processor and allow to cool (about 10 minutes). Then add other ingredients (cheese and garlic) and hit the pulse button for about a minute. Then scrap the sides with a spatula then add basil and pulse again until ground up. While this I happening, be sure to slowly add the olive oil into the processor until everything is smooth. Season with the salt to taste. 

Storage: Pesto can be made ahead of time kept in a jar with a tight lid in the fridge. Be sure to add a bit of oil on the top to ensure the air trapped in the jar doesn’t turn the top brown.

Serving suggestions:

I serve pesto with linguini pasta or penne pasta and a side order of sausage or garlic bread, or both.  Cook pasta as directed on the package until it’s about al dente. Drain and reserve about ½ cup of the cooking water 

In a large bowl mix together the butter and some pesto then add the hot pasta and toss together until the pasta is completely covered. You can add some of the reserved cooking liquid if the butter is not melting enough.  Season to taste with salt.

Upon serving, place a good helping of grated Parmesan on top and enjoy. 

Author Elizabeth Kilbride is a former political operative, author, scriptwriter, historian, journalist. business professional, creative artist, and life coach consultant. Ms. Kilbride holds a Masters in Criminology and a BS in Business Management who stepped out of the loop for a while, but who is now back with a powerful opinion and voice in the direction of this country and our economy. As a life coach, she is available to counsel individuals to enjoy their dreams and a better life. Ms. Kilbride loves to travel, photograph her surroundings and is also a gourmet cook who loves to garden and preserve food for the winter months.