RECIPE: REC: Marcella Hazan's Blender Pesto posted by CathyZ. I worship both of you now.

RECIPE:
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amanda_pennsylvania

Well-known member
I had a bad experience with pesto back in college. My friends and I tried to make a batch using a recipe out of the Moosewood Cookbook. I think it used parsley. We ended up burning the motor out of my mother's blender, and it was the worst stuff I'd ever tasted. Sour and thin and like eating leaves. Ever since then, I've avoided pesto.

Until now.

So I had a bunch of basil to use up and found this recipe posted by CathyZ. It looked easy and like I wouldn't invest too much time and effort in case it didn't turn out. So I closed my eyes and took that culinary leap of faith.

This is one of the best dishes I've ever eaten. Seriously. It takes almost no time and it has the most amazing texture. Basil, cheese, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil.

It's almost better than chocolate. (Almost.) It's that good. Make it this week. You won't regret it.

http://www.eat.at/swap/forum/index.php?action=display&forumid=1&msgid=5287

 
I agree, this is my 'go to'. My version has the following instructions when making to freeze.. .

I make it this way and keep it in the freezer, excellent.

Cooking Tip: If the pesto is destined for the freezer, do not add the cheese
and butter until you're ready to use it.

 
And if you freeze it, float just a little extra olive oil on top to protect

the basil from freezer-burn.

 
Rec: Michael Chiarello quick blanches his basil and then shocks it in ice water and it keeps

it from oxidizing and turning brown when you keep it in fridge or freezer-he also adds just a little ascorbic acid to help this. Stays emerald green and beautiful. Also makes it easier to process. Here's his recipe:

ngredients

Serves: Yields: 1 Cup

3 cups lightly packed fresh basil
1 cup lightly packed Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup pure olive oil
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts, *see note
1 teaspoon minced garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon powdered ascorbic acid (vitamin C or Fruit Fresh)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Prepare a bowl of ice water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put the basil and parsley in a sieve and plunge it into the boiling water, pushing the leaves down into the water and stirring them so they blanch evenly. Blanch for 15 seconds, then plunge the herbs into the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain immediately, squeeze the herbs dry, and roughly chop.

In a blender, puree the herbs with the oil, pine nuts, garlic, salt, pepper, and ascorbic acid. When well blended, add the cheese and whir briefly just to mix. Transfer to a bowl and adjust the seasoning. Store the pesto in a small, covered container in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks. Or freeze the pesto for as long as 1 month.

*Note: I always toast pine nuts on a baking sheet in the oven. They tend to burn in a saute pan on the stove.

 
Exactly. Chef I used to work with would throw in a bit of spinach too to make it super green.

 
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