Spero che stiate tutti bene! Carmelo and I hope you are all well on this beautiful April morning here on the Sunshine Coast. We hope that wherever you are, you are enjoying some home cooking, trying out new, healthy recipes to share with your loved ones during this period of confinement we all find ourselves in. Keep calm and carry on Cooking with Carmelo!
His simple recipe for today is Pesto all Genovese – a sauce originating in Genoa, the capital of Liguria, Italy. It traditionally consists of crushed garlic, pine nuts, coarse salt, fresh basil leaves, hard cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano, all blended with (Italian) olive oil. Carmelo says that in Genoa, they add little squares of boiled potatoes at the base of the pesto dish, so that the oil from the pesto is absorbed into the potatoes and lingers in your last mouthful.
Pesto sauce is great with pasta – you can add green beans, cut in half and boil with the pasta – but it can also be used as toppings on boiled potatoes, roast chicken legs/breasts, or lightly brushed on top of fish eg. salmon or sole to add more flavour. Carmelo says you can even add it to your bowl of nourishing minestrone soup – just plop a teaspoon-full in the middle of each serving. Carmelo says, “This is 100% Italian!”.
Pesto Alla Genovese
Serves 4
Ingredients:
100g Fresh Basil
50g Olive oil
Pinch of sea salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
30g Hard cheese (Pepperoni or Parmigiano-Reggiano)
20g Pinenuts (or Walnuts)
Method:
Gently roast pinenuts in a small frying pan thirty minutes before making the pesto.
Allow pinenuts to cool.
Add nuts to the rest of the ingredients and mix all together in a food processor.
Pour sauce into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until use.
Pesto can be frozen in a sealed jar.
Chef’s Tip:
For “Espresso Pesto”, use the same recipe but substitute the fresh Basil with good quality fresh Spinach and Arugula (50g each), and some Parsley.