Pacifist Pesto Recipes

EASY PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Boil spaghetti in a large pan according to pack instructions. Drain well, then return to the pan with the pesto and half the Parmesan. Toss well, then tip into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

PESTO

Steps:

• Peel the garlic, then pound in a pestle and mortar with a pinch of sea salt.
• Pick, roughly chop and add the basil leaves, then bash to a paste (or pulse in a food processor).
• Add the pine nuts (very lightly toast first, if you like) to the mixture and pound again, then stir in half the Parmesan.
• Drizzle in some oil - you need just enough to bind the sauce and get it to an oozy consistency.
• Add most of the remaining cheese, then season to perfection with salt and black pepper. Have a taste, and keep adding a bit more cheese or oil until you are happy with the taste and consistency.
• Add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end to give it a little twang, if you like, but it's not essential.

EASY PESTO RECIPE

Steps:

• Place the basil, garlic, cheese, pine nuts, lemon juice and zest, and salt in a food processor fitted with a chopping blade. Plus a few times until the ingredients create a paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed.
• With the food processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the mixture. If needed, stop to scrape the sides to ensure everything is incorporated. Give the pesto a taste and adjust the salt, if needed.

THE BEST BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Peel and bash the garlic in a pestle and mortar with a pinch of sea salt.
• Pick the basil leaves and add with the pine nuts, and pound to a coarse paste.
• Muddle in the extra virgin olive oil and finely grate and stir in the Parmesan, adding a splash of water if you like it a little runnier, then continue bashing and pounding until smooth.
• Have a taste and season with salt and black pepper, if needed. For a lovely creamy finish, try crumbling in and stirring through a cooked Jersey Royal. Serve with grilled meat or fish, or simply stirred through pasta - delicious!

PESTO

Steps:

• Combine basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and nuts in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend to a smooth paste. Add parsley if desired.

PESTO PASTA RECIPE WITH TOMATOES AND MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.
• In a larger bowl, toss the tomatoes with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic and extra virgin olive oil. Transfer to a sheet-pan and bake in heated oven 25 to 35 minutes or just until the tomatoes collapse and develop some char (if you don't want them too soft, take the tomatoes out earlier). When ready, remove from the oven. (See notes)
• While the tomatoes are roasting, cook the spaghetti in boiling water according to the package to al dente (about 10 minutes). Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta.
• Transfer the cooked spaghetti to a large bowl (same bowl used earlier for the tomatoes). Add the pesto and toss to coat. If you need to, add a little bit of the pasta cooking water to help mix it evenly. Taste, and if needed, add a bit of kosher salt and black pepper to season.
• Add the roasted tomatoes and mozzarella to the bowl of pasta. Toss to combine. Serve warm. Garnish with fresh basil, if you like.

SPAGHETTI PESTO

Steps:

• Start a pot of well salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta until it is just al dente (start tasting a few minutes before the package recommends: you want it to be tender but still a little firm on the inside; usually around 7 to 8 minutes). Just before draining, reserve 1 cup pasta water! Then drain the pasta.
• Place the pasta in a bowl (not the pasta pot). Stir together the pasta, pesto, and 1/2 cup pasta water, tossing with tongs until the pesto is well distributed and the pasta water forms a creamy sauce. Add more pasta water if desired. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and taste. If the flavor doesn't pop, add a few more pinches until it does (the salt content in purchased pesto brands varies, as well as the amount of salt you used in the pasta water). Serve immediately.
• Store any leftovers refrigerated: note that pesto can get gummy when reheated, so it's best to eat leftovers cold or room temp.

PESTO

Steps:

• In a food processor, add basil, garlic and pine nuts and process until uniformly chopped.
• With motor running add olive oil in a drizzle. Open the lid and scrape down the sides then turn motor back on to mix.
• Pour into a bowl and hand mix in both cheeses and salt and pepper to taste.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. This pesto may also be frozen - we put it in small zipper seal food storage bags and flatten to remove all the air from the bag before sealing and freezing.