PECAN AND BASIL PESTO

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image



Pecan and Basil Pesto image

Pesto is very easy to make if you have blender or a food processor. Classic pesto is basil, garlic, parmesan, pine nuts and olive oil but you can make a pesto of any similar mix of ingredients. This pesto uses pecans and leaves out the cheese, giving the option of using it as a cooking sauce and adding the cheese separately to...

Provided by Heidi Hoerman

Categories     Spreads

Time 20m

Number Of Ingredients 7

2 c fresh basil leaves, removed from the stems and washed
6 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 to 3/4 c olive oil, extra virgin
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 c pecan halves or pieces

Steps:

  • 1. Place basil, garlic, 1/2 cup oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor and blend until somewhat smooth. Force down the leaves and add more olive oil as needed to enable creation of a sauce about the consistency of a good, thick ketchup.
  • 2. Add the pecans and blend briefly, leaving small bits of pecans visible.
  • 3. Refrigerate or freeze. In its raw state, the pesto is quite harsh tasting. Add it to a dish a few minutes before you are done cooking.
  • 4. SERVING SUGGESTION: Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and saute sliced summer squash or zucchini until turning translucent but still firm. Add the pesto and pasta to the squash and saute about 2 minutes until the pesto is cooked a bit. Serve with freshly grated hard cheese (parmesan, romano, etc.) on top.

There are no comments yet!