Pesto Baby!

What is Summer without fresh pesto! It is truly my go-to for everything! Not only is it the easiest, freshest, and most healthy thing to make, but it gives any dish star power! I make a big batch of pesto nearly ever week and stir it into my vegetable soup, drizzle it on a tomato mozzarella salad or sandwich (my husband’s favorite), use as marinade or sauce on chicken or fish, use as a fresh salad dressing, and of course in my all-time favorite Italian meal ever-pesto pasta! The great thing about pesto is it saves nicely in the refrigerator! The traditional recipe of basil, pine nuts, Parmesan Reggiano, garlic, and olive oil is hard to beat. But I am partial to my own twist on pesto!

 

Pesto:

-2 cups basil

-2 cups fresh bagged spinach

-1 cup, maybe 2 cups of roughly chopped Parmesan Regianno

-1 cup walnuts

-Generous, generous pouring of olive oil

Patiently blend all of these ingredients and then add Kosher salt or Fleur de Sel and ground pepper to taste, and a squeeze of half a lime. If I am saving the pesto in a glass jar, I pour a swirl of olive oil on the top to keep it fresh and moist. Another fun summer appetizer is to wrap prosciutto around slices of cantaloupe and then drizzle a little pesto on top.

Happy Summer!

Farrell