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Ah, pesto! We can thank the Italians for this simple,\u00a0savory sauce. The traditional version, classic\u00a0“Pesto Genovese” (recipe below), is so easy to make and has only\u00a0five ingredients: basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan cheese.<\/p>\n
There’s no better time to make pesto than when your garden is overproducing herbs at the end of summer. Of course, pesto is delightful\u00a0anytime! But\u00a0buying herbs in large quantities\u00a0at the supermarket off-season can get expensive. So take advantage of those\u00a0garden herbs\u00a0now, when they’re practically free! Pesto is a great way to preserve your herbs, too, so you can enjoy them long after your garden has stopped producing. The homemade kind\u00a0keeps about two\u00a0weeks in the refrigerator and can be frozen for up to four months.<\/p>\n
Pesto is\u00a0exquisite\u00a0tossed with pasta, dolloped\u00a0on\u00a0steamed veggies, folded into mashed potatoes (or tossed with boiled or roasted new potatoes), mixed into cannellini beans as a side dish, spread on a sandwich, blended into dips, baked into bread, spooned into\u00a0a baked potato, stirred into soup, mixed into dressings, or smeared on bruschetta. Get the idea? You can even use it as a substitute for tomato sauce on homemade pizza (go easy) or as a marinade, sauce, or condiment for meats. The possibilities are practically endless. Some folks even stir some pesto\u00a0into their pancake batter for breakfast. Really, they do!<\/p>\n
Over the years, the traditional recipe for classic pesto Genovese\u00a0has evolved to highlight the flavors of herbs other than basil. Modern chefs often\u00a0start with a base of individual herbs like cilantro, dill, parsley, or mint; or, even use greens, like arugula or spinach. Sometimes, they combine\u00a0milder herbs, like basil, with small amounts of\u00a0intensely flavored herbs, like oregano or rosemary. Because the\u00a0traditional\u00a0recipe for pesto is very flexible and forgiving, it encourages experimentation. Getting creative might\u00a0make the purists sneer, but who cares, right?<\/p>\n
It’s common to\u00a0replace the pine nuts (a relatively pricey ingredient) with more budget-friendly nuts, like walnuts, cashews, or even sunflower seeds. You can also change up the flavor of your pesto by trying varying\u00a0grades of olive oil, or oils from different parts\u00a0of the world. Some are stronger, others are fruitier, and yet others have a peppery bite. The flavors are as diverse as the regions they come from. It’s staggering to think\u00a0of all the different types of olive oils available today!<\/p>\n
Always use the best quality ingredients you can find (or afford). For example,\u00a0instead of using some generic brand of parmesan cheese that comes in a can, look for genuine\u00a0Parmigiano-Reggiano. Ideally, buy a block of cheese that you can grate yourself, so you’ll know it’s as fresh as possible. There’s\u00a0no rule that says you’re limited to parmesan. You can choose any\u00a0dry, aged cheese that has\u00a0a rich, strong flavor.<\/p>\n