Wow, I didn't know that there was still no Pesto recipe up yet. It's my father's favorite sauce and as much as he loves his garden, he spares a section of his green house to grow basil and his time to look after them, so that he can have fresh pesto any time.
Originally, pesto is made from fresh basil, pine nuts, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (or Parmesan cheese), garlic and olive oil, but we all know too well that pine nut is insanely expensive here in Thailand so I opted to swap out the pine nut for Macadamia, which is locally grown. We do grow out basil ourselves and like any other herbs, freshly cut herbs tends to have stronger aroma than store bought packet herbs. And because it's only a 5 ingredient sauce, make sure that all the ingredients are top notch and smelling it's best.
You can be the hipster cook and use your elbow grease and use mortar and pastel to pound all the ingredients together, as it was intended, or you can be lazy and just flick a switch on your food mixer or electric blender, it's up to you.
Ingredients
2 bunches of fresh Basil, washed and stems removed.
1 1/2 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
1 cup macadamia nut with 1/2 cup reserve (optional)
1 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil with 1/2 cup extra on hands if the sauce is too thick.
5 cloves garlic, peeled.
How to
Put 1 cup of macadamia nuts into the mixer/blender, and mix for about a minute.
Then add garlic, mix for another 30 seconds,
Add basils and 1 1/2 cup of olive oil, blend until smooth, or close to what you and your family like, we like ours with a little chunks in them.
Add the cheese and blend for another 30 seconds, if the sauce is too thick, add little more olive oil
If you want to add a little more texture to the pesto, add the remaining macadamia nuts into the mix and blend on pulse a couple of times and voila, it's done.
Makes about 4 jars of Pesto. Great with toast or with Pesto Mash Potato or with this delightful pasta, Trofie, the standard pasta to pair with Pesto. When jarring, add a tea spoon of extra virgin olive oil to seal the air from reaching the paste and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Basil can be substitute for Sage, Oregano, Marjoram, Thyme, mint, sundried tomatoes, Thai basil, or any other herbs you have access to in the garden. Pine nuts can be substituted with macadamia, almonds, walnuts and even sunflower seed, the possibilities are endless!
Originally, pesto is made from fresh basil, pine nuts, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (or Parmesan cheese), garlic and olive oil, but we all know too well that pine nut is insanely expensive here in Thailand so I opted to swap out the pine nut for Macadamia, which is locally grown. We do grow out basil ourselves and like any other herbs, freshly cut herbs tends to have stronger aroma than store bought packet herbs. And because it's only a 5 ingredient sauce, make sure that all the ingredients are top notch and smelling it's best.
You can be the hipster cook and use your elbow grease and use mortar and pastel to pound all the ingredients together, as it was intended, or you can be lazy and just flick a switch on your food mixer or electric blender, it's up to you.
Ingredients
2 bunches of fresh Basil, washed and stems removed.
1 1/2 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
1 cup macadamia nut with 1/2 cup reserve (optional)
1 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil with 1/2 cup extra on hands if the sauce is too thick.
5 cloves garlic, peeled.
How to
Put 1 cup of macadamia nuts into the mixer/blender, and mix for about a minute.
Then add garlic, mix for another 30 seconds,
Add basils and 1 1/2 cup of olive oil, blend until smooth, or close to what you and your family like, we like ours with a little chunks in them.
Add the cheese and blend for another 30 seconds, if the sauce is too thick, add little more olive oil
If you want to add a little more texture to the pesto, add the remaining macadamia nuts into the mix and blend on pulse a couple of times and voila, it's done.
Makes about 4 jars of Pesto. Great with toast or with Pesto Mash Potato or with this delightful pasta, Trofie, the standard pasta to pair with Pesto. When jarring, add a tea spoon of extra virgin olive oil to seal the air from reaching the paste and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Basil can be substitute for Sage, Oregano, Marjoram, Thyme, mint, sundried tomatoes, Thai basil, or any other herbs you have access to in the garden. Pine nuts can be substituted with macadamia, almonds, walnuts and even sunflower seed, the possibilities are endless!