Skip to main content

Pesto



I am not a fan of store bought pesto. Not because it's not fresh, or because it contains preservatives. I don't like it because of the cheese.

I don't like parmesan. There, it's heresy, but I've said it now. Give me fresh mozzarella, crumbly feta or even gorgonzola. But parmesan's just not my thing. Now pesto is a sauce hard to avoid if you like Italian, so I decided to make my own cheese-less version of the classic.

Drop a loosely packed cup of basil leaves and 2 chopped garlic cloves in a blender. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Now add a tbsp of pine nuts, another tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of coarse sea salt and blend again. But stop while your sauce is still grainy - remember that pesto is something you originally made with mortar & pestle so we aren't looking for smooth here.

Dip a spoon and dig in. If any of it survives beyond the first ten minutes, scrape it into an airtight container and leave it in the fridge. I've heard it lasts a few days; I am yet to see proof of it.
Labels:

Comments

Laura said…
I like Parm ok, bit I always sub in Asiago, which we love. I've never understood why Parm gets to be king automatically.

Now my issue, on the other hand, with pesto is the copious quantity of Italian (or American) basil. Which is weird since I can eat large amounts of Thai or purple basil.
March 28, 2009 at 6:43 AM
Siri said…
Wishing you a very Happy Ugadi :). Pesto is one thing I never buy from store, I don't like the after taste of it. :)

Cheers,
Siri
March 28, 2009 at 7:23 AM
Rachel said…
Wow that is neat although I like cheese in my pesto. I have a friend who makes pesto minus the cheese and stores them and prior to use she stirs the cheese in.
March 28, 2009 at 8:56 AM
Sunshinemom said…
I made this some time back too:), and they taste great cheeseless! I prefer the mortar and pestle way!
March 28, 2009 at 1:13 PM
Priya Suresh said…
Pesto i love this, i too prepare at home, i dont event buy from store...
March 28, 2009 at 1:33 PM
CurryLeaf said…
I love parmesan,so in that I do not agree with you.But I too do not buy pesto as I love the aroma of fresh basil and love it when ground,too good and I feel very mood enhancing.To be honest I add only little parmesan asI want pesto to be more basil-y and also give only a coarse grind as you say
March 28, 2009 at 3:30 PM
Srivalli said…
Happy New year wishes simran...that looks good..have never tried my hands with it...
March 29, 2009 at 8:07 AM
Bharti said…
Home made pesto is def. best. But yeah, gotta disagree on the cheese part.
March 29, 2009 at 9:04 AM
notyet100 said…
thats a nce recipe simran,..;-)
March 29, 2009 at 9:22 PM
Unknown said…
nice recipe i like pesto pasta yumm
March 30, 2009 at 9:35 AM
chef and her kitchen said…
even i prepare pesto at home...It stays for a good one week if enough olive oil is added...i have tried and tested it..:)
March 31, 2009 at 7:03 PM
Shaheen said…
I love pesto! Where do you buy your pine nuts from? They seem nice and plump.
April 9, 2009 at 7:26 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I've found my perfect cookie

It's a bite sized cookie, with flavors of a pie, shape of a croissant and a pretty, pretty name. It's Rugelach. I first heard of this cookie when it became the baking pick for Tuesdays with Dorrie a couple of months back. The looks, the concept - everything was fascinating. And I've dreamed of making this cookie ever since. I ditched hundreds of recipes floating around and went straight to the master. It's Dorie Greenspan's recipe that I used, and ain't I glad I got it so perfect the very first time. So what's rugelach? It's cream-cheese pastry dough, rolled then cut into wedges, spread with jam and sugar and fillings of choice, rolled into crescents and baked. First the dough. Dorie did it in her processor, but I just went and did it by hand. Put 100 gms cream cheese and 100 gms butter out of the fridge until they were soft but still cold. Added both to a cup of plain flour (I omitted the salt because I use salted butter). Rubbed the flour and but
10 comments
Read more

Aloo Paranthas

In all these years of blogging, I've somehow never managed to talk about aloo paranthas, the potato stuffed flatbread that's a standard breakfast in North India. Possibly because they are such a staple in our home, I found there wouldn't be enough interest in the recipe. But I've also realised over time that my mom's recipe is unique, using a combination of flavours and spices that make these paranthas delicious. But that's not the only reason for this post. I also wanted to tell you about a super cool party and some ways we found to make aloo paranthas even better and believe it or not, healthier. The party in question was hosted by Rushina at her cooking studio a few months back. For a while now, Rushina has been talking about the merits of cling film, parchment and something called cooking foil made by Asahi Kasei. Because we won't believe that you can really cook without oil but using science, she invited a bunch of us over for a potluck lunch.
1 comment
Read more

Mystery Fruit

This only happened a few times every year, just when the rainy season kicked in. A street hawker will come by, straw basket on head. He will yell "kaul chapni" and I will run out to buy a bundle of these. Stuck together like flowers, they looked like a bouquet. Every hole contains a little fruit. You break out the package, peel the tiny fruit that pops out and eat it. Done slowly, it can take you an hour to eat an head. Or did, when I was about 12 years old. That was the last time I saw this fruit. I've never seen it again, didn't even know what it was called or where it came from. Three weeks back, Vikram Doctor wrote about a store in Khar that sells Sindhi foods. He described this fruit and I knew it came from my vivid childhood memories. And finally, I knew we were talking about lotus fruit. Now talk about coincidences. Last weekend, I was passing by a lane in Bandra and for the first time in many, many years I saw the straw basket filled with my mytery fru
14 comments
Read more