Pesto Recipe: A popular Italian condiment used in various recipes
Cooking is an art that empowers your creative mind to take flight. However, what often poses a challenge are the ingredients. While there are countless global recipes to explore, sourcing the right ingredients for a particular dish can become a hurdle. This is where your creativity comes into play. Instead of giving up on a dish entirely, consider seeking alternative ingredients that can be incorporated into the recipe. Opting for a suitable substitute not only enables you to complete the dish but also imparts an entirely new character to it. We recently embarked on such an experiment with the humble pesto. Let's delve into the specifics.
What Is Pesto Sauce? What Makes It Distinctive?
Pesto, or pesto sauce, is a beloved Italian condiment extensively used in various dishes. The term "pesto" originates from the Italian word 'pestare,' meaning to pound or crush. An authentic pesto entails pounding fresh basil, pine nuts, and garlic in a mortar and pestle, followed by the addition of cheese and olive oil. Some recipes also incorporate black pepper and lemon juice to enhance the flavours. Pesto finds its way into dishes like spaghetti, steak, seafood, and many other delectable preparations. So much so that in 2018, it earned a spot on the United Nations' List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Can Pesto Be Prepared Without Basil and Pine Nuts?
In India, acquiring fresh basil and pine nuts for crafting pesto sauce can often be a challenge. But what if we told you that you can still craft this delectable condiment at home? That's right. All you need to do is identify the appropriate alternatives, and presto! When basil and pine nuts are unavailable, spinach and cashew nuts can step in - both of which are readily found in an Indian kitchen.
Also Read: Love Chicken Pasta? Here's A Quick Recipe For Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
Homemade Pesto Recipe: How To Make Pesto Sauce
This recipe is remarkably simple. Start by cleaning the spinach, blanching it, and adding it to a grinder. Simultaneously, toss in some cashew nuts or almonds (whichever is on hand), garlic, salt, and black pepper, and grind until a smooth paste forms. Take ample time to ensure thorough blending of each ingredient.
Next, introduce some lemon juice, olive oil, and grated cheese, and blend once more until a seamless paste is achieved. While the classic pesto recipe calls for mozzarella cheese, we utilized regular processed cheese cubes readily available in the market.
For a detailed recipe of homemade pesto without basil, click here.
Bonus Tip: How To Use This Pesto In Your Dish
1. Toss with Pasta: Boil pasta and combine it with the sauce for a delightful meal. Enhance the flavours by adding olives and cheese.
2. Use as a marinade: Elevate the taste of chicken or meat steak by marinating them with pesto sauce before roasting.
3. Use as sauce: If you relish butter garlic mushrooms or butter prawns, consider infusing some pesto into the butter sauce. The result is a delectable delight.
4. Use as spread: Toast slices of bread and spread the pesto sauce on top. Sprinkle with grated cheese for a scrumptious pesto bread.
If you have a bunch of spinach on hand, we recommend giving this a try right away and relishing a scrumptious meal with your family this weekend.