Ode to a Jar of Pesto

Filed in archive Recipes on August 27, 2007

Little jar of Pesto, how do I love thee?
Let me count the ways...

1) combined with crème fraîche and mixed with fresh tagliatelle

2) spread on pizza dough, topped with freshly sliced tomatoes and goat's cheese, and baked

3) as a marinade for fresh fish or chicken




4) mixed with cream cheese and goat's cheese then spread on crackers to serve as an hors d'oeuvre

5) combined with fresh breadcrumbs then stuffed into halved, seeded roma tomatoes and baked

6) incorporated into bread dough before it's baked

7) swirled into minestrone just before serving

8) mixed with plain yogurt and served as a dip with grilled vegetables

9) added to a lemon juice based vinaigrette for some extra zing

10) stuffed into slits cut into a leg of lamb, before grilling or roasting

Of course your can always make your own pesto. I make it in a food processor, it is simple and so delicious!

2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves, gently washed and dried
2 clove garlic, chopped fine
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
salt
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Purée the basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts and salt in a food processor bowl and process until smooth and creamy.
Mix in the two cheeses by hand.
Makes enough to coat 1 pound of pasta.