What's on the menu?

What's on the menu?

Sunday 26 May 2013

How To Make Your Own Green Pesto

A guide to making your own green pesto with recipes and serving suggestions. 

Make your own pesto at home
Pesto from a jar is great- it's quick and convenient however there's nothing quite like freshly made Pesto sauce when you go to an Italian restaurant. The fresh ingredients from restaurant Italian Pesto give a better flavour.
Would you like to make your own Pesto at home? It's very easy to make, only requires a few ingredients and can be made relatively inexpensively. 
Below are a few of my personal favourite homemade green Pesto recipes.
Traditional Pesto sauce originates from the Genoa region of Northern Italy generally comprising basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, Parmegiano Regiano (Parmesan) hard cheese and salt.
Below are 3 simple recipes for homemade Pesto to try at home.
Basil and Lemon Thyme Pesto with diced Pepperoni for a salty kick
Homemade basil pesto with chorizo
  1. Basil and Walnut Pesto
  2. Basil and Lemon Thyme Pesto
  3. Traditional Genovese Green Pesto

Basil and Walnut Green Pesto Recipe

Serves 3-4 people when served with Tagliatelle Pasta
Ingredients
  • 90 gram of Fresh Basil Leaves (3 supermarket packets)
  • 50 gram of Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 100 ml Olive Oil
  • 2-4 Garlic Cloves depending on preference
  • 25 gram of Walnuts
To form your Basil and Walnut Pesto transfer the Garlic Cloves (however many you choose dependant on personal taste), Walnuts and Basil Leaves into a food processor or blender and process to a paste slowly while adding the Olive Oil until smooth.
Transfer the Pesto paste to a bowl and stir in your grated Parmesan Cheese
Your Basil and Walnut Green Pesto paste can then be stirred in to cooked Pasta or transferred to the fridge for storage. From experience this Pesto will store for a few days in a refrigerator so there's no excuse to throw away any excess.

Basil and Lemon Thyme Pesto Recipe- A lemony treat

Serves 3-4 people when served with Tagliatelle Pasta
Ingredients
  • 60 gram of Fresh Basil Leaves (2 supermarket packets)
  • 30 gram of Fresh Lemon Thyme (1 supermarket packet)
  • 50 gram of Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 100 ml Olive Oil
  • 2 Garlic Cloves depending on preference
  • 25 gram of Pine Nuts
To form your Basil and Lemon Thyme Pesto- transfer the Garlic Cloves,Pine Nuts, Basil and Lemon Thyme into a food processor or blender and process to a paste slowly while adding the Olive Oil until smooth.
Transfer the Pesto paste to a bowl and stir in your grated Parmesan Cheese
This works well also served with Chicken or Scallops for the seafood lover due to the delicate lemony texture. Alternately to challenge your tastebuds why not add some chopped Pepperoni or Chorizo to add a salty tinge to the mixture- it works!

Genovese Green Pesto Recipe

Serves 3-4 people when served with Tagliatelle Pasta
Ingredients
  • 90 gram of Fresh Basil Leaves (3 supermarket packets)
  • 50 gram of Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 100 ml Olive Oil
  • 2-4 Garlic Cloves depending on preference
  • 25 gram of Pine Nuts
  • A pinch of salt
Follow the steps from the above receipes for this traditional Genovese Green Pesto recipe

What is the best wine to serve with Green Pesto? Red or White?

If you ask a wine expert what wine would go best with pesto you would never get the same answer twice. The peppery herbal notes from the basil many would argue that a red wine would potentially clash too much.
The crispness of a Sauvignon Blanc will match well with the herby taste of the basil
A Californian Chardonnay will cut through the richness if you choose to add extra richness in the form of additional Olive Oil, Garlic and Pine Nuts.
However if you wish to go for an authentic Italian meal pair your Pesto with a classic Italian Sangiovese, Chianti or Montepulciano- crisp, fruity Italian reds.



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