As for almost all my Italian food love stories, this one started when I visited the country.
It wasn’t in some fancy restaurant ; neither was it in metropolitan Italy, but in Sardinia. With my companion, we wanted to go to the beach, and it was nearing noon. We fetched, in a small nearby supermarket, a few items to make a tomato, mozzarella and pesto sandwich -I might post it some day, because this simple sandwich is beautiful.
As we strolled through the aisles of the supermarket, I noticed some fresh, refrigerated pesto ! This isn’t commonly available in French supermarkets ; we only get pesto from sterilized glass jars. I bought it with excitement -I love shopping for food in foreign supermarkets, as it gives me truer sense of what the locals eat.
I tried it before spreading it on the sandwich. Damn it !! The difference with our usual French ready-made pesto was astounding. The basil flavour was so much fresher ; you could also taste the delicious olive oil flavour, and the garlic.
And it wasn’t even the real deal, as it was still ready-made. Imagine the flavour when freshly handmade, using the best ingredients you can procure.
There was no turning back from this, and my companion gifted me a mortar and pestle for my next birthday. To this day, I make my pesto from scratch.
I hope you’ll make yours too.
Mortar-and-pestle Pesto – Recipe
Ingredients, process – Advice & key points
- Olive oil : As this ingredient is possibly the most important in this recipe, I strongly recommend using a good quality olive oil.
- Basil : Try to make this recipe in summer, as off-season basil is just not tasty.
- Why use a mortar and pestle, you might wonder, and not a blender ? The answer is twofold :
- if using a hand mixer or blender, the blades will heat up the basil, which makes it lose some of its flavour ;
- crushing and grinding frees more flavour than simply cutting. Try it with a piece of garlic if you wish ; you will taste a clear difference between minced garlic and crushed garlic.
Using your pesto – Pieces of advice
- Very useful trick : Make a batch of pesto, then freeze your leftovers easily ! You just have to use an ice cube tray ; I usually use my pesto for a 2-persons recipe, then make around 6 to 8 pesto cubes that I put in the freezer. 2 cubes represent a good amount per person.
This way, I can have tasty pesto year-round.
- How to use your pesto :
- With pasta :
- Important : Do not heat your pesto ! It will lose its flavour.
- When your pasta is cooked, turn off the heat. Set aside a small amount of pasta water.
- Drain, then add back your pasta to your pot. Add your pesto (about 1 heaped tablespoon per person). Add a bit of pasta water, and emulsify by stirring quickly.
- Please salt your pasta water appropriately ! 10g of salt/liter is usually recommended.
- In sandwiches :
- My favourite pesto sandwiches are :
- Mozzarella, Tomato and Pesto (vegetarian) ;
- Arugula, Mozzarella, Tomato, Parma ham, Pesto.
- My favourite pesto sandwiches are :
- With pasta :
Now come and cook !
Mortar-and-pestle Pesto
Description
Genovese pesto is as fresh as it is decadent. This beauty is essentially olive oil and parmigiano -freshened up by lots of basil, and a bit of garlic. Simple, ready within 15mn and absolutely gorgeous.
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Pound it !
Place your garlic in your mortar and pestle, along with a generous pinch of salt.
Crush it until it becomes paste-like (around 2mn).
Add your basil progressively, one or two large handfuls at a time (~ 3 additions). Pound it and crush it, taking your time to do so (at least 5mn).
Add your pine nuts, and crush them (~1mn).
Add your grated cheese and stir it in progressively, in 2 or 3 handfuls (~1mn).
Pour your olive oil slowly at the beginnning, so as to emulsify the sauce. After 2 or 3 tbsp, you can add larger quantities at a time.
Taste and adjust for salt if needed.
Et voilà !! You're done !