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Perfect Pesto
by
Elizabeth Yarnell
www.GloriousOnePotMeals.com
The recent teasers of chilly days have sent me scampering to use up
what’s left in my garden before nature decides it’s truly time to frost.
It is a good time to make pesto.
In Italy, pesto, a paste of herbs, olive oil and Parmesan
cheese, is used for everything from spreading on bruschetta to slathered
on a Panini to stirred with hot pasta noodles until the parmesan melts
delightfully. Traditionally made with garlic, basil and roasted pine
nuts, I like to add spinach to my pesto as well. It cuts the powerful
basil nicely and adds a nice nutritional boost while making the endeavor
more economical if you have to buy your fresh herbs at the store.
Low in saturated fats and high in healthy, unsaturated fats, pesto is
one of my favorite healthy choices for its satisfying flavor and
incredible versatility.
Tightly seal freshly-made pesto in an airtight container and refrigerate
for up to 1 week, longer if very oily. I pack it in my kids’ lunches as
a dip with baby carrots and pita chips. Try pesto in place of mayonnaise
on sandwiches with any lunchmeat or fresh vegetables. Mix it into tuna
instead of mayo. Let it melt over freshly-roasted vegetables. Paint it
on grilled chicken just before serving. Put it in sterile jars and can
it for holiday gifts. The possibilities are endless.
Here is my favorite pesto recipe along with two ways to make a healthy
one-dish meal with more of the end-of-summer vegetables. Consider
leaving out the fish and instead using chicken or pork for a different
take on this meal. Of course, you should feel free to use store-bought
pesto and choose different vegetables, too.
Gregorio’s Pesto
2 handfuls spinach leaves
1 handful basil leaves
2-4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup olive oil (more or less), divided
1/2 cup shelled, toasted pine nuts
6-8 oz. ground Parmesan cheese
Fill the bowl of a food processor with cleaned spinach and basil leaves
and peeled cloves of garlic. Drizzle in olive oil to lubricate and
pulse. Add pine nuts that have been toasted at 300F for a few minutes,
and Parmesan cheese. Continuously drizzle small amounts of olive oil
while running the machine until you have a runny paste. Taste and season
with sea salt, if necessary (I usually find the Parmesan adds enough
salt).
Pasta with Pesto
Serves 4
4 scallions, chopped
2 cups dry pasta noodles (penne, macaroni, fusilli, rotilli, or farfalle
(bowtie))
2/3 cup water or broth (more, if boiling pasta separately)
1 –1 1/2 lb. fish filets (flounder, tilapia, halibut, salmon, or
whatever you prefer)
4 cups eggplant, small cubes
4 cups zucchini, small cubes
1 cup yellow or orange bell pepper, small cubes
1/2 cup pesto
4-8 roasted green chiles, peeled, stemmed, seeded, chopped (optional)
Method 1: Boil water and prepare pasta according to
package directions. Place fish in oiled baking dish and in the oven at
300F until cooked through. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a deep skillet
and sauté eggplant, zucchini and bell pepper until veggies are
fork-tender. Place hot veggies in a large serving bowl with drained
pasta and toss with pesto and chiles until well blended. You may want to
add some of the reserved pasta water to help the pesto distribute
evenly. Serve on a plate with a piece of fish.
Method 2: Preheat oven to 450F. Spray inside of 3 1/2
or 4-qt cast iron Dutch oven and lid with olive oil. Scatter with
scallions. Pour pasta into pot. Add liquid and stir to coat noodles
well. Spread into even layer across base.
Set fish in next. In a medium bowl, mix zucchini, eggplant, and bell
pepper with pesto. Mix well to distribute the pesto. Add the chiles, if
desired. Spread vegetables into thick layer atop fish. Cover and bake
for 45 minutes, or until 3 minutes after the aroma of a fully-cooked
meal wafts from the oven.
About
the Author:
Elizabeth Yarnell is a Certified Nutritional Consultant, inventor, and
author of Glorious One-Pot Meals: A new quick & healthy approach to
Dutch oven cooking. Glorious One-Pot Meal recipes are protected under US
and Canadian patents. Visit
www.GloriousOnePotMeals.com to learn more about this unique cooking
method and
www.EffortlessEating.com for Elizabeth’s philosophy and recipes for
living naturally.
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