Use Your Food Processor To Make Fresh Homemade Pesto In Minutes!

What is Pesto?

Use Your Food Processor To Make Fresh Homemade Pesto In Minutes!

Use Your Food Processor To Make Fresh Homemade Pesto In Minutes!

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Use Your Food Processor To Make Fresh Homemade Pesto In Minutes!

Use Your Food Processor To Make Fresh Homemade Pesto In Minutes!

Many people think of Pesto as a raw green sauce with very specific ingredients, namely basil, garlic, olive oil, Parmesan cheese and pine nuts. While that sauce is indeed a Pesto, there are many other sauces that qualify.

The word Pesto is actually the past participle of the Italian word Pestare, which means to pound or crush. The term can apply to any sauce which has crushed herbs in an oil base. Such sauces are traditionally made by hand with a mortar and pestle. In fact, the words pestle and pesto both come from the same Latin word meaning "to crush." I break from tradition here, since a Food processor gets the Job done just as well in much less time.

The sauce much of the world thinks of as Pesto, is more accurately called Pesto alla Genovese or Pesto of Genoa Italy. Many regions of Italy have a Pesto they call their own, using ingredients commonly found in their particular region.

Below you will find a recipe for a basic Pesto alla Genovese followed by Pumpkin Seed Pesto made with fresh spinach leaves. The latter recipe comes from the region of my kitchen.

You can take the basic recipe and alter it in countless ways. Any type of nut can be substituted for pine nuts. Any type of leafy fresh herb can be used as well as any type of grated hard cheese. Play around with flavor combinations and find your favorite.

Pesto Alla Genovese

Ingredients

1/3 cup of pine nuts

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 cups of firmly packed fresh basil leaves (no large stems)

1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese (your Food processor can grate it for you)

Directions

Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan until lightly browned. This step intensifies the flavor of the nuts, but can be skipped if you want a completely raw sauce.

Put the pine nuts into the work bowl of your favorite food processor fitted with the multipurpose blade. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the garlic cloves and repeat.

Add the fresh basil leaves to the food processor work bowl and pulse until they are chopped. Turn the food processor to "on" and slowly drizzle the extra virgin olive oil through the feed chute while the machine is running.

Add the Parmesan Reggiano cheese and pulse until combined.

That's it! Your Pesto is ready to be enjoyed. You could use it as a Pasta sauce, pizza sauce, vegetable dip, or spread for toasted bread. You could top chicken with it or use it as a dip for cooked shrimp. Pour some over roasted potatoes or baked butternut squash. The possibilities are endless.

Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Ingredients

1/3 cup of raw hulled pumpkin seeds

2 cloves of garlic

2 cups of baby spinach, firmly packed

1/3 cup of pumpkin seed oil

1/2 cup of freshly grated Romano cheese (use your food processor to grate)

Directions

Place the pumpkin seeds into the work bowl of your favorite food processor fitted with a multipurpose blade. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the garlic cloves and repeat.

Add the spinach to the food processor work bowl and pulse until well chopped. Turn the processor to "on" and slowly drizzle the pumpkin seed oil through the feed chute while the machine is running.

Add the Romano cheese and pulse until combined.

Use Your Food Processor To Make Fresh Homemade Pesto In Minutes!