Run out of pesto sauce or just want elevate the cooking game to a higher hold? Check out this pest recipe that will make any dish bold!
Pesto is everywhere nowadays and mostly in its purest form if we don’t count the preservatives and thickening agents, some funny pesto sauce producers’ stuff in there, to make it more appealing for their costumers while increasing profit margins.
The food industry has its ways for the heart of consumers. A bit of sugar here, bit of starch there and everybody is cheering until diabetes, heart attack or some gastrointestinal disease strikes out of the blue.
Then, some start to bang on the table demanding cure and pills that allows them to continue the way it has always been while others pick up the pestle and start thumping in a way that should be. Or at least for as long as Moley the fully automatized kitchen robot doesn’t take care of everything for us from preparing to cleaning.
This is how pesto came to its existence. too. Not by robot cooking but by thumping some herbs and oily ingredients in a mortar together with a pestle.
The name pesto comes from Italian and means “crushed” or “pounded”. Basically, any food that is crushed and pureed in a stone bowl with a piece of wood or another stone is called pesto because that’s what it is, crushed.
People always liked crushing things so much more if that actually resulted in better things, like the romans did with garlic, cheese, olive, salt, herbs and vinegar when made moretum or what we do with aioli.
The original pesto, if such thing exists, is from Genoa and in Italy called Pesto Genovese because people there thumped their stuff with local herbs and nuts namely basil and pine seeds that were and still abundant in that region.
Basil is actually from India but when Pesto Genovese was invented, it had already been waved into the local gastronomy so much that chefs had to suggest substitutive herbs like marjoram and parsley for times when basil wasn’t available due to unfortunate meteorological events such as winter.
Other parts of the world, where Italians migrated, had their shortages too which resulted all sort of pesto during the years. Some recipes use almonds or walnuts instead of the original pine seeds that can be quite on the pricey side.
While some are quite happy pounding the same seven ingredients for a lifetime reserving local traditions, others are taking a more adventurous route and throw everything there, including tomatoes creating the pesto rosso that is “red pesto”.
It doesn’t really matter what route we take though. Pestos are all awesome condiments especially if we can scoop them on some freshly made gluten filled pasta on a sunny afternoon…
Not everything from Italy is about pasta or something made with flour, though. Well, probably more things are with that than not but pesto can be used with dishes that fits into anyone’s diet in one way or the other.
Being a condiment naturally free of sugar, makes it a lovely sauce for meals on low carb, keto, or gluten free plates any time of the year, given that we have stuffed the freezer full with enough leaves that lasts through the winter.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz / 30g Pine seed
- 1 oz / 30g Basil
- 1 oz / 30g Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 2 cloves / 6g Garlic
- ½ cup / 120g Olive oil (extra virgin)
- Additional Olive oil for creating an oxygen deprivitation layer on top of the pesto
- 1 teaspoon / 5g Salt
How to make Pesto sauce:
- Pine seeds are hard to shell if someone doesn’t have a pine seed sheller so consider buying shelled pine seeds instead of spending the afternoon gathering them in the woods. In case there isn’t any pine seed available, other nuts can be used just as well. Optionally breadcrumbs can be used too.
- Roast the shelled pine seeds until golden brown in a pan on medium to high heat while stirring occasionally. It doesn’t need any additional fat or oil.
- Take the basil leaves off the stem, rinse them and start filling the food processor with them.
- Add roasted pine seeds, grated parmesan, garlic, olive oil and salt.
- Puree until there is a consistent texture.
- Taste and adjust accordingly. Keep it in the fridge for about 2 weeks or until tastes edible.
Enjoy!
Making condiments low carb, gluten free or sugar free is not only easy but comes completely naturally for them.
Pesto Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Pine seed
- 1 cup Basil
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 cloves Garlic
- ½ cup Olive oil extra virgin
- Additional Olive oil for creating an oxygen deprivation layer on top of the pesto
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Roast the shelled pine seeds until golden brown in a pan on medium to high heat while stirring occasionally. It doesn’t need any additional fat or oil.
- Take the basil leaves off the stem, rinse them and place them into a food processor.
- Add roasted pine seeds, grated parmesan, garlic, olive oil and salt.
- Puree until there is a consistent texture. Taste and adjust accordingly. Keep it in the fridge for about 2 weeks or until tastes edible.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin now, Enjoy later!
It really is better than the store bought one! Unbelievable!
The secret is the fresh basil leaves. If you have that you have everything!
Don’t forget the roasted nuts either! Those make all the difference!
True enough! Basil, nuts and cheese! The holy trinity
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