Pesto- That Italian Flavour

Pesto is simply a fragrant highly flavourful, fresh and raw sauce originating in Genoa in the Liguria region of northern Italy.

Herbs have been popular since old times for their healing and medicinal qualities. Their use in cooking and treating common illness have been a part of our traditional since olden times. Pesto is a great way to benefit from all the healthy goodness of herbs adding flavour making a simple food into delicacy. The Chef Instructors at Natural Gourmet Institute-NYC, among other things have introduced Pesto as part of the health supportive cooking program I have recently completed.

Pesto is simply a fragrant highly flavourful, fresh and raw sauce originating in Genoa in the Liguria region of northern Italy. Basically made with a green herb, nut, olive oil, garlic and cheese all ground together coarsely in a sauce form. The mere presence of the highly nutritional ingredients of this sauce makes it a complete  healthy high quality topping for dishes.

Herbs are super foods, concentrated forms of nutrition, packed with minerals, vitamins, disease fighting phytochemicals, flavonoids, with antibacterial and anti inflammatory properties. Nuts are nutrition dense with essential fats, proteins, and fibre, provide a wide range of essential nutrients, including several B group vitamins, vitamin E, minerals such as iron, zinc, potassium and magnesium, antioxidant minerals (selenium, manganese and copper), plus other antioxidant compounds (such as flavonoids and resveratrol). So pesto makes a super sauce which is not only nutrient dense but without chemical preservatives, easily made fresh, can be stored for several days in your refrigerators, add that unique Italian flavour to your food that often times only fine dining restaurants offer. A great option for weight loss without sacrificing on delicious food on our plates.

Steamed Roman Beans topped with Basil Pesto

Traditionally the Italians will make Pesto that consists of crushed garlic, basil, and pine nuts blended with olive oil, Parmigiano Reggiano, and Fiore Sardo cheese all ground in a mortar and pestle, thus the name Pesto. However in Italy and elsewhere that this sauce travelled around world, delicious creations are made using different nuts, and herbs as well as tomatoes for a red variety.

 

Basil and sunflower seed  pesto on wholewheat pasta

 

Learning to make pesto have opened up a culinary wonder for me. With endless possibilities for creating pesto and then unlimited ways they can be used and served, I instantly fell in love with this sauce. Over the weeks I have created a range of different pesto combination different herbs and nuts available here in Pakistan. I have also used the pesto I made in various dishes that would totally enhance their flavour, presentation and nutritional value. 

Make Your Own Pesto:

I am sharing some recipe of pesto that I have made recently, you can mix and match the herbs and nuts to experiment. The processing instruction with remain same for all pesto:

The Basic Processing Instructions:

-use a food processor, or better mortar and pestle if you can and want to do it the real Italian way

-add the garlic, nuts and herbs, lemon juice,  if the recipe calls for in the food processor and whirl until coarsely chopped

-add the olive oil slowly as you chop

- add the parmeson cheese, meso if the recipe calls for it, and salt and pepper, whirl for one more min just to mix it all

-put in a small jar or remekin with a layer of oil on top to keep preserve the colour, a small 100 gms jar of pesto keeps well refrigerated for a week and for several weeks in the freezer.

Basil and Pine Nut Pesto

Basil and Pine Nut Pesto

This is a most popular and basic pesto and when added to anything like pasta, soup steamed or stir fry vegetable or spread over bread or crackers gives it a real delicious Italian flavour.

Health Benefits of Basil

Recipe:

-       1-1/2 cup fresh washed and dried basil leaves

-       ½ cup roasted pine nuts

-       3 large cloves garlic

-       ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

-       ¼ cup parmeson cheese

-       salt and pepper to taste

Note: you can replace the pine nuts with sunflower kernals/nuts

 

Pesto on wholewheat artisan bread

Mint and Pistachio Pesto:

Mint and Pistachio compliments and brings out flavour of almost anything Italian including burgers, pasta salads, eggs, lamb chops. 

Health Benefits of Mint

1 cup mint leaves tightly packed washed and dried

¼ cup basil leaves washed and dried

¼ cup shelled pistachio toasted

2-3 large garlic cloves

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tsp lemon juice

½ cup grated parmeson cheese

¼ cup meso (optional)

salt to taste

Mint and Pistachio Pesto on Poached Eggs

 

Basil and Cashew Pesto

Basil and cashew pesto is a bit creamy, and tastes awesome spread on croissant, baked fish, on omellets and crackers. 

2 Cups Basil leaves , washed and dried

¾ cup toasted cashew nuts (dont toast if using roasted nuts)

2 cloves garlic

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tsp Lemon Juice

½ cup shredded parmeson cheese

Salt and pepper, (omit salt if using salted cashews)

Arugula and Walnut Pesto:

 This intense flavoured pesto is good with soups, fish, salads topping, pasta salad, steamed vegetable and even on stir fry vegetable. Enhance taste of jacket potatoes, and roasted vegetable.

Health Benefits of Arugula

Recipe:

2 Cups arugula (rocket salad) leaves washed and dried

1/3 cup walnuts

2 tsp lemon juice

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

½  cup extra virgin olive oil

Potatoes microwaved and then chunk of it tossed in a sauce of Pesto in greek yogurt (lebanah) and crushed black pepper

 Dill and Walnut Pesto

This intensely flavoured pesto is a natural accompaniment and topping with all kind of seafood, grilled, baked or roasted. Cold soups, and of course in different appetiser creations.

Health Benefits of Dill
 

Recipe:

-1 cup dill leaves only discard the think stems

-1/4 cup toasted walnuts

- 3 big cloves garlic

-3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

-1/4 cup miso (replace with same amount of cheese)

-1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

-1/2 tsp lemon zest

- pepper to taste

Tips:

-       first make a small quantity in a mortar and pestle to see if you like the taste and combination of nuts and herb then process your whole batch.

-       Always roast the nuts, enhances the flavour

-       Use a ¼ cup meso if available or you can replace the entire cheese portion with meso.

-       If using Cheddar cheese and or meso, omit salt, since these ingredients are already salty.

-       Omit salt if using salted nuts

-       You can use roasted and salted nuts if unsalted raw ones are not available, ideally unsalted nuts roasted just before you begin grinding gives great flavour

-       Use leaves only, don’t use stems

-       Pesto is never creamy or pasty it is all about a coarse texture where you can actually identify the some bit of ingredients.

-       Avoid stale nuts, they will spoil the entire batch with the rancid taste and smell.

-       Pesto taste very intense so less is more, one teaspoon of it can flavour a full 1 pound bowl of pasta or potatoes

Popular Uses of Pesto in Dishes:

-       As pasta sauce

-       tossed with boiled, baked baby potatoes, sweet potatoes

-       spread over wholewheat crackers, bread

-       Flavour omelletes and poached, fried eggs

-       As sauce for baked and grilled chicken, sea food and steaks

-       Appetizer dips for cut vegetable and crackers

-       1 ts of pesto and ½ cup of olive oil makes a great dip for bread

add in soups and stews