Making Summer Last with Homemade Pesto

When I was a kid, my mother would prepare special meals for each member of the family on his or her birthday.  It seems I must have been Italian in a previous life, because when my big day arrived, I always chose something made with pasta — usually Fettucini Alfredo or Lasagna made with my mom’s famous tomato meat sauce and plenty of mozzarella, topped with grated parmesan.

While both dishes are still favorites of mine, linguini with pesto has taken over as my first choice.   My birthday dinner today would be fresh linguini, cooked al dente, topped with homemade pesto with basil from the garden, imported parmesan, fresh pignolis (pine nuts) and garlic, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil imported from Italy and plenty of sea salt.  To me, there is nothing closer to heaven on a plate than this mouth-watering yet simple pasta dish.  Of course imported olive oil and parmesan cheese are not always in the budget for a stay-at-home-Mom, but a girl can dream on her birthday, can’t she?

Pesto is simple to prepare and will keep in the refrigerator for several months, if not longer.  Now is the time to stock up!  Basil is abundant in the garden, so why not make up a few batches to make summer last all year?  I love to freeze a batch in ice cube trays, then transfer to plastic freezer bags.  This way I can thaw out a few tablespoons of pesto at a time, depending on how I plan to use it.

Pesto is delicious on pasta, but also as a sandwich spread, mixed with mayonnaise or plain, as an appetizer served atop crostini with cheese, or filled into cherry tomatoes (you can use a melon baller to scoop out the seeds and replace with pesto).   Many people also use pesto as a lasagna filling or on pizza, and is especially tasty with a vegetarian version made with grilled or roasted vegetables.

A friend recently asked me how to make pesto, and so I was inspired to share this simple recipe with my readers.   The basic ingredients are basil leaves, garlic, olive oil, cheese and nuts.  Traditionally pignolis are used, but I’ve seen many variations including walnuts, or sunflower seeds, to accommodate nut allergies.  My favorite pesto recipe is by Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, and it appears in her cookbook: Barefoot Contessa Parties! Ideas and Recipes for Easy Parties That Are Really Fun
Ina’s recipe calls for both pignolis and walnuts.  Enjoy!

Ina Garten’s Pine Nut and Walnut Pesto:

• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup pignoli (pine nuts)
• 3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
• 5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups good olive oil
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Place the walnuts, pignoli, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

Notes: Air is the enemy of pesto. For freezing, pack it in containers with a film of oil or plastic wrap directly on top with the air pressed out.

To clean basil, remove the leaves, swirl them in a bowl of water, and then spin them very dry in a salad spinner. Store them in a closed plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel. As long as the leaves are dry they will stay green for several days.

Yield: 4 cups

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