Know of a pesto recipe without pine nuts?!
Know of a pesto recipe without pine nuts?
i'm allergic to all nuts and seeds. need a recipe that doesn't include either. thanks.
Answers:
I never use nuts in my pesto. I grow basil, so I like to use that along with fresh spinach.
I like to mix 1 part spinach and 1 part basil. Mix, then add lots of parmesan cheese, some fresh garlic... then some good oil. Sometimes, I add a little salt and pepper.
To save a few calories, I add just a few drops of water to my pesto...
sorry, I don't go by recipies exactly, I just mix things together until they taste great!
PESTO ALLA GENOVESE
1/4 lb fresh basil leaves
4 spinach leaves
3 sprigs parsley
3 sprigs marjoram
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup olive oil
salt, to taste
Pesto Sauce, Genoa Style (Non-Traditional)
Clean the basil leaves well (do not wash) and remove stems. For the most intense flavor, pick basil on a dry, sunny day around noon, and never after a recent rain.
Pound the clean basil leaves with remaining ingredients using a mortar and pestle until a smooth paste is obtained.
Easy. The simplest pesto recipe just involves basil and olive oil.
Get a bunch of basil leaves. Add enough olive oil to blend it. Puree till smooth. You can add some garlic if you want.
Here are several pesto recipes I use at home that contain no nuts. ( I have two children allergic to all nuts).Have you considered replacing pine nuts with sunflower seeds?I'm not sure if they are classified in the same category as nuts)
Basil Pesto without pinenuts.
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Ingredients:
1 large bunch basil
4 cups ice cubes
3 cloves garlic
1 cup Italian extra virgin olive oil
3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Directions:
Pluck leaves from basil. Discard stems. Place ice cubes in large bowl, add 2 quarts cold water, and place large strainer in bowl so strainer fills with ice water. Bring 3 quarts water to boil in saucepan. Drop in garlic, cook 30 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon. Add basil leaves, cook 15 seconds, then remove with skimmer, and place in ice water. Cool about a minute. Drain well. Squeeze out excess water. Place basil and garlic in food processor, and process until chopped. Transfer to blender and process at high speed, adding olive oil in thin stream while machine is running. Add cheese, and process until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and process briefly.
I love pesto ... but I have surpluses of herbs other than basil that I'd like to make into interesting pesto variations. Ideally, they'd be blended with flavors that harmonize the way traditional pesto's ingredients do. (My extras include lovage, thyme, lemon thyme, tarragon, sweet marjoram, Greek oregano, sage, rosemary, parsley, chives, chive flowers, garlic chives, salad burnet, spearmint, chervil, and cilantro.)
Red Capsicum Pesto
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90g sun-dried tomatoes
1 1/3 cup red capsicums, roasted and chopped
1/2 cup Kalamata olives; pitted and chopped
1/3 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1/3 cup basil, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Put the sun-dried tomatoes into a bowl and pour boiling water over them just to cover. Leave them to soak for 20-30 minutes. If using tinned capsicums, rinse and drain them well, and blot them on paper towels, then chop them finely. Combine them with the chopped Kalamata olives, the chopped fresh herbs, and the minced garlic. Drain the tomatoes, reserving the water, and press them gently in a colander. Pulse them in a food processor until they are finely chopped. Add the olive oil and vinegar, pulse again, scraping down as needed, until no large chunks of tomato are left. Combine the tomato mixture with the other ingredients, mix well, and season to taste with salt and pepper. If the pesto is too thick, moisten it with a few drops of the reserved tomato water.
Dill Pesto
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2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
2 cups parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill leaves
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
In a blender, blend the garlic and lemon rind until minced. Add parsley and dill. Blend until finely chopped, scraping down the sides of container as needed. Then, with blender running, slowly add the oil and blend to a smooth paste. Blend in the lemon juice. Spoon into serving dishes. Use as a dip for carrot or celery sticks if desired. May be frozen.
I hope these recipes help.
Sharon
try this...it's a little different than the usual basil pesto
Arugula Pesto
2 cups fresh arugula
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Blend the arugula and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup of oil, processing until well blended. Transfer the pesto to a large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
I've seen recipes that use walnuts and parsely instead of pine nuts and basil. But, of course, then it's not really pesto, but it's still good.
Oh, you don't want any nuts. Go ahead and eliminate the pinenuts then. It won't be quite the same, but you really can't go wrong with olive oil, basil, garlic, and parmesan!
Pesto is a Ligurian sauce.
I live in Liguria and I've never seen or tasted pesto made from olives, ice or butter!!! It won't be pesto.
The original recipe is very easy and made with basil , oil , garlic, parmesan, pecorino, salt and pinenuts.
Don't add pepper.
The original recipe must be done in the mortar, but you could use a mixer too.
Ingredienti e dosi: 4 basil bunches,( g.30 di pinoli), 3 garlic cloves , a pinch of rock salt, g. 40 gratted parmesan, g. 40 gratted pecorino , 4 spoonfuls extra vergin olive oil (preferably ligurian olive oil)
Pinenuts were introduced in the ancient recipe later, so you can make this original recipe without them.
p.s. sk_leo is right: you can use rocket in pesto but is not original. If you use rocket you must choose the greenest and smallest leaves or pesto will taste bitter.