Episode #104 - Spaghetti with Pesto and some appetizers to celebrate the arrival of Fall...
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Alright then,
time to get going with our fourth episode!
Today you will learn to make the best and freshest
pesto ever. Just one thing before we start: even if
this dish does not require cooking, preparation time
is longer then other (sometimes more complicated)
dishes.That's because you need to wash the basil,
pluck the leaves, grate the cheese etc...BUT, the
result is stunning, and at the end, it's a very easy
recipe.
Also make sure you keep an eye on the salt factor
(Pecorino cheese is very salty) and how much oil you
end up using...Even if Olive oil is one ofthe most
important ingredients in Tuscan cooking, that does
not mean you have to drawn your pasta in it!!!
Get you apron, your dish
rag and put some cool music on, choose your bottle of
wine...
May I suggest a Bruzzico, from
Fattoria Malenchini in Bagno
a Ripoli, Florence.
Let's go!
Serves 4
Preparation time 20 min
Cooking Time as the pasta requires
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of Fresh Basil Leaves (about
4 oz)
- 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Sardo or Romano
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- (Matteo’s Variation 1/2 Lb cherry tomatoes)
Getting ready:
Rinse well the basil and separate the
leaves from the stems.
Grate the cheese.
Peel the garlic.
Open the wine, start sipping.
Making Pesto:
Combine the basil, the garlic, the
pinoli and the olive oil in a blender.
Blend until paste forms.
If your blender sucks (like mine), you'll have to
stop often to push down the basil. If the paste gets
too thick, and you already used all the olive oil the
recipe call for, help it by adding a little bit of
water (less than 1/2 glass)...
Or go visit Gabriele's blog to
enjoy the best and funniest blender on earth!!!
Add the cheese, salt and pepper…blend until smooth.
Keep in the fridge until you’re ready to use it…it
will prevent it from turning dark.
In a small non stick pan saute' the pinoli you have
set aside, when brown remove them from the pan and
cool them on a plate.
Cook your pasta...and please, cook it well !!!
Grab a half cup of boiling water and set it aside
into a cup.
When ready, drain it, and pour it in a bowl, add the
pesto and start stirring the sauce;
use the hot water, adding very little at the time, to
help the pesto dissolve around the pasta.
Serve garnished with some grated parmesan or pecorino
(just a touch), fresh ground pepper and a sprinkle of
olive oil.
Add the toasted pinoli on top.
You are ready to go!
Buon Appetito.
Debi and Gabriele
