Pesto If You Please

This post is long overdue, but better late than never!

Current happenings: working on improving my balcony game. I've made the recent decision to spare no expense on my abode seeing how the only interest second to hosting guests at my home is spending time in absolute solitude here.

I've been slowly working on growing some seedlings in hopes of transforming 100 square feet of space into a garden oasis/bistro/rooftop bar sans-rooftop. It will be epic.

I've never had any success growing basil, but this year that will change. It has to. I'm hooked on pesto and that is what brings us here today.

Over the years my recipe for pesto has gotten simpler and simpler because honestly, I'm finding the pine nuts aren't necessary, neither is a ton of cheese. Really we all know who we came to see and that's the basil.

Easy Pesto:

1 bunch basil

1/4 cup or more olive oil

salt

pepper

1 garlic clove

pecorino romano or parmesan cheese

In a food processor, add basil, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, garlic clove and a few scrapes of cheese (use a grater or microplane)*. Pulse until smooth, adding more olive oil as necessary. Stop to taste and adjust salt/pepper/cheese as needed. 

(I also add a pinch of crushed red pepper to my pesto, but people who live that lifestyle typically add it to everything without being prompted.)

*So why are we skimping on cheese? Doesn't that go against everything I've ever believed in? Well, yes and no. I like to skimp on cheese in this step because well, I'm really cheap and this cheese is pricey. But also because pesto is about the basil. I always add cheese to top the dish off and I certainly don't skimp there, because that's where it can really be appreciated. 

Perfect example. This was the product of one long cooking weekend (and you can trust that more cheese was added in post). Homemade spinach and sundried tomato ravioli with boatloads of that fresh pesto, local italian sausage, and that glorious cheese.

But the pesto party ain't over until I say it's over...

Eons ago, we used to sell a tortellini basil salad at work. It was glorious. Surely you can buy you're pesto pre-made. Not going to lie, sometimes I do just to avoid having to clean the food processor... But the general idea is perfectly just-slightly overcooked tortellini swimming in pesto and green-tinted oil. I decided it was time to try to recreate it. I added chopped up pimento peppers because we're officially in the South now (so get used to it).

I always oversalt this pasta intentionally, add extra cheese, and serve it cold or hot!

And in the name of trying new things - I made my favorite - a roasted chicken and taught Zach how to butterfly the beast (my favorite cardamom yogurt spiced chicken recipe HERE) with a side of pan-fried potatoes and sautéed brussels sprouts. 

A few weeks ago, Zach came to visit and I have to say I'm most inspired food-wise by the Zachs of the world. The people who haven't tried this or that, or maybe haven't had a great experience with this or that. 

Photo evidence of Zach going in for seconds on the brussels sprouts. I come from the school of thought that everything tastes better when you put pork product in it. In this case, pancetta.

A lot more pesto posts to come as the spring and summer roll along and more guests some through the ol' B&B.