Pesto Pasta

It's that time of the year when spring veggies are peaking. We are slowly transitioning our meals away from hearty crock pot recipes and towards lighter meals and traditional BBQ. AB did a fabulous tri-tip Saturday which he smoked for about 4-5 hours. He was making sure he "still had it" so that he can cook this dish (my new "AB BBQ" favorite) on Friday for my parents and Soil Micro Mom and her family. He still has it. Mmm. I am drooling now at the thought of this paired with my mom's pie.

Yesterday at a new grocery store (with a fabulous produce department) I found basil with leaves nearly the size of lettuce leaves. It was "live" basil, so there was a small root ball and soil in the bottom of the bouquet wrapper. I am going to attempt to plant the remaining root ball in my garden since there were lots of "little basil plants" popping up in the bottom. Seeing this basil, I knew it was time to make the first batch of pesto of the year. The basil was so fragrant that the car smelled fabulous on the way home. (Marred only by the aroma of AB's meat sticks he was munching on.)

I make my pesto in a food processor, some prefer a blender. I like my pesto with more uniform chunks instead of a spread. I never measure a thing (if you know me this comes as no surprise), I taste, AB tastes and I adjust as needed. Here's what I use:

1-2 packages of fresh basil, leaves picked
About 1/2 c mozzarella (I don't use fresh mozza for pesto use the packaged stuff)
A couple chunks of parmesan cheese, grated into the food processor (today I used about 1.5" cube)
2 cloves fresh garlic (I love the spiciness of garlic and would prefer more - but my stomach can't handle it)
About 1/2 c pine nuts
1/2 -1 t kosher salt (depending on taste)
Olive oil

Put everything but the salt and olive oil in the food processor and chop until uniform. Drizzle in olive oil until the pesto is the desired consistency - I like mine pastey, some like less oil. This is the best part - salt to taste, and you must taste.

I love fresh pesto on pasta with nothing else. Tonight it is spinach pasta. Chop a tomato and toss with the pasta to add some color and variety it you like.

Storing pesto:

Pesto is best fresh. To store in the fridge, place in a plastic container and line the top of the pesto with plastic wrap to minimize oxidation with the air contact and cover with container lid. Some people prefer to put the pesto in a container, spread it flat and then pour olive oil to cover the top and seal it from air that way. This works, but you either end up throwing away the oil or stirring it in. And when you have achieved your balance of flavors I am not thrilled with stirring it in.

You can also freeze pesto. Place it in a freezer ziploc, remove the air and freeze flat. Break off pieces to use. The pesto loses some of its flavor and pungency this way, but it still works. Allow to rise to room temperature without microwaving - which IMO, destroys the basil flavor.

Cooking will mute the flavors of fresh pesto - but in most dishes that's ok. The batch I made today will be enough for tonight and then either 2 additional pasta dinners or pesto stuffed chicken breasts, which AB is already talking about cooking this week.

Enjoy!