Pesto

Pesto is gorgeous! Its beautiful to look at and very flavorful.


Pesto is traditionally made with basil, nuts, cheese, and olive oil. But have you ever tried making pesto with something other than basil? Think about it. Using another type of fresh green such as chard, spinach, arugula, and of course other herbs, like parsley, can add a different flavor. It adds a healthy component to the dish. You get the added benefit of the ingredients and it is easy to prepare.


In addition you don't always have to use pine nuts in pesto. Try another type of nut. I used walnuts because they are my favorite for the omega 3 qualities.

Cheese....once again Parmesan, asigo or pecorino?

This is the recipe I ended up using:
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 garlic cloves
2 cups asigo cheese, grated
1 handful spinach
1 handful arugula
2 tbsp kosher salt

1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

1/2 to 1 cup olive oil

Everything goes into a food processor. Dump it in, pulse it until you get it to the consistency you want, add a little oil thru the feed tube, and you have pesto.

This recipe makes a lot of pesto. If you don't want to have that much left over I suggest cutting it in half.

Lets talk leftovers. We had meals centered around pesto for the next few days.

Panini sandwiches are great ways to use up leftover pesto. Spread it on the bread and then add your filling of choice, could be some sliced turkey and cheese or grilled vegies. The flavor of the pesto on a grilled panini sandwich is wonderful.

Tomato sandwiches.....multi grain bread, pesto, mayo and sliced tomato...a sprinkling of sea salt....open faced.....it's fantastic.

The next night we did a fresh whole fish brushed with the pesto, inside and out, and grilled.

How about using it on a pizza? The possibilities are endless.

But after a few days I got tired of it and decided to put the rest in the freezer. Someday I will be searching through the freezer looking for something quick and easy. I will run across it and think oh goody pesto!