"Why do I get pesto? Why do I think I'll like it? I keep trying to like it, like I have to like it. Everybody likes pesto. You walk into a restaurant, that's all you hear: pesto, pesto, pesto. Where was pesto ten years ago?" George Costanza
PESTO PESTO PESTO- everybody loves it and you know summer is here when its getting served up by the gallon. But George is right, Pesto was never around when I was uber young...where did this green delicate delight come from. Well it came from Genoa, Italy (shocking.....mmmmm salami). The rocky fishing villages and mountain towns are excellent for growing produce, thus the abundance of BASIL, and the need to use it up. The Ligurians developed the basil based sauce because they needed dishes that used the fresh ingredients their climate most supported. Originally the sauce was used for flavoring in vegetable soup and wasn't used as a pasta sauce until 1910. Noted: Pesto in french onion soup could be good? The name came from pesto translating to pestle, as in mortar and pestle, the tool used in the traditional way pesto was made. One would use the mortar and pestle to grind up all the ingredients into a paste. I will not be doing that as my mortar and pestle are tiny and I am far too lazy. Plus, I bought a new food processor mini just for this pesto event. 20 dollar refurb cuisinart from Big Lots. I love that store. Ok so on this dreary afternoon I went on a pesto mission using my mothers old recipe and some basil from the garden to make this incredibly simple sauce.
Ingredients:
3 cups fresh basil washed and patted dry
3/4 c. olive oil
3/4 c. fresh parmesan cheese
3 tbs pine nuts
1 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in blender until almost smooth.
2. Blend in butter until just combined.
3. Enjoy on pasta, meets, bread or apparently...vegetable soup.
Looks lovely! I've been making pesto this summer too--my basil is gangbusters. A's mom suggested freezing some in an ice cube tray. Then you can have fresh pesto for months =))
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