therealdesign

The Italian to English translation of pesto is to crush or a sauce of crushed ingredients. Basil pesto is one of the cleanest most delicious and healthiest sauces you can make in less than 5 minutes. This time of year, fresh basil practically grows like a weed and it’s a good time to buy quantity while the price is right. I just purchased 6 fresh plants and made 2 quarts of sauce for my own personal use. If you haven’t made your own basil pesto sauce, you really should give it a try. Prepared pesto is typically made with citric acid and other stabilizers, which take way from the clean pure taste of a good freshly, made sauce. After pulling the leaves off the stem of 6 full basil plants, I soaked the basil in lots of cold water in a prep sink. I like to give the water a good stir, dropping much of the soil that might have collected under the leaves to the bottom of the sink. I move pretty quickly because fresh basil isn’t exactly tolerant of sitting around in a hot kitchen. In a food processor, I combine ? cup of a good virgin unfiltered olive oil. I just love the taste of unfiltered green oil. To the oil, I add 6 cloves of fresh peeled garlic and pulse for 15 seconds or until the garlic is macerated into the oil. Next I start piling the basil leaves into the food processor and turn on the machine until the leaves turn into a stiff puree. I add one cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 1 tablespoon of sea salt, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and nuts. Classic pesto features pignolis or pine nuts, the actual seeds found inside of certain varieties of pinecones. I use walnuts or sometimes macadamia depending on what flavor profile I am gong for. Walnuts are certainly the most affordable to use and provide a good full buttery flavor. Once the pesto is blended, I bottle it and top it with more olive oil to keep it from oxidizing. Not only is pesto delicious served at room temperature over pasta, but also it’s a great marinade or finish for grilled meats or fish. It is bustling with flavor and a classic Italian sauce.