Pesto Marsala Style Recipes

HOW TO MAKE PESTO LIKE AN ITALIAN GRANDMOTHER

Steps:

• Start chopping the garlic along with about 1/3 of the basil leaves. Once this is loosely chopped add more basil, chop some more, add the rest of the basil, chop some more. I scrape and chop, gather and chop. At this point the basil and garlic should be a very fine mince. Add about half the pine nuts, chop. Add the rest of the pine nuts, chop. Add half of the Parmesan, chop. Add the rest of the Parmesan, and chop. In the end you want a chop so fine that you can press all the ingredients into a basil "cake" - see the photo up above. Transfer the pesto "cake" to a small bowl (not much bigger than the cake).
• Cover the pesto "cake" with a bit of olive oil. It doesn't take much, just a few tablespoons. At this point, you can set the pesto aside, or place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Just before serving, give the pesto a quick stir to incorporate some of the oil into the basil. Francesca's mom occasionally thins the pesto with a splash of pasta water for more coverage, but for our gnocchi this wasn't necessary.

DELISH PESTO PASTA WITH CHICKEN MARSALA

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. In a Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink; remove from the pan. Repeat with remaining oil and chicken; remove from the pan., Add garlic and lemon zest to the same pan; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add wine and lemon juice, stirring to loosen browned bits from the pan. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the cheese, milk and sauce mix. Add chicken; cook until sauce is slightly thickened., Drain pasta; add to chicken mixture and toss to combine. , Sprinkle with herbs.

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.

CHICKEN MARSALA PASTA AL FORNO

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until very very al dente, 6 to 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Position an oven rack in the bottom of the oven and preheat the oven to broil.
• Heat a large, heavy-bottomed ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Season the chicken tenders with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess. Add the chicken to the skillet and brown on both sides until golden brown, 2 minutes per side. (Note: the chicken should only be seared, not cooked through. It will finish cooking in the oven.) Transfer the chicken to a wire-racked baking sheet.
• To the same skillet, add the butter, cremini, porcini and shallots and cook, stirring minimally to aid in browning, until the mushrooms are deeply caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, another 20 seconds. Deglaze with the marsala, scraping up any browned bits. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Off the heat, add the pasta and stir well to coat with the sauce. Top with the browned chicken, then a layer of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Broil the pasta in the skillet until the cheese is browned and the pasta and chicken are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

MARSALA MUSHROOM AND GOAT CHEESE FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the butter and oil until the butter is melted. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Pour in the Marsala and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the mushrooms are cooked down and the liquid is mostly gone, 5 to 7 minutes. Mix in 2 tablespoons of the parsley. Set aside.
• Put the flatbreads on a baking sheet. Brush with the pesto, then top with the mozzarella, mushroom mixture and goat cheese. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.
• Bake until the flatbreads are heated through and the cheese is melted, bubbly and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.

MARSALA SAUCE

Steps:

• Add olive oil to hot saucepan.
• Add onions, garlic and cook 2 or 3 minutes.
• Add mushrooms and sauté until tender.
• Add flour and cook 1 minute, then deglaze pan with wine.
• Add beef stock, blend, and cook until sauce thickens.
• Serve over chicken or pork.

MARSALA-POACHED PEARS

Steps:

• Cut pears in half lengthwise and remove cores. Measure Marsala cooking wine into a small mixing bowl. Add brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg; stir to dissolve sugar.
• Melt butter in a large 12-inch skillet. Stir in Marsala mixture. Cook over medium heat until bubbly. Place pears in pan, cut side down. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 30-45 minutes or until cool enough to serve.
• Place each pear half in a small bowl. Stir remaining sauce in pan; drizzle each serving with 1-2 teaspoons warm sauce. Top with a small scoop of ice cream, and if desired, toasted pecans. Serve immediately.

CLASSIC PESTO

Steps:

• Heat a small frying pan over a low heat. Cook the pine nuts until golden, shaking occasionally. Put into a food processor with the basil, parmesan, olive oil and garlic cloves. Whizz until smooth, then season to taste.

ELEGANT PORK MARSALA

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, mix flour and pepper. Dip pork chops in flour mixture to coat both sides; shake off excess., In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, heat oil over medium heat. Add pork chops; cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 145°. Remove from pan; keep warm., In same skillet, add mushrooms, onion and bacon to drippings; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add wine; increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan., In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and broth until smooth; add to pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve with pork.

PESTO MARSALA STYLE

Steps:

• Chop garlic, basil and the pecorino or Provola cheese. Place in a bowl, add the diced tomato and mix in the olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper and the crushed red pepper (optional).
• It can be refrigerated overnight but it is preferable to use it the same day that it is made.
• To make this sauce for 1 lb. of pasta, use 2 cups of tomato and double the amount of the other ingredients.
• Drizzle some olive oil on top of each dish of pasta and sprinkle with some toasted breadcrumbs for a true Sicilian touch.