Pesto

When you have fresh basil, it is hard to resist making a pesto. This is the basic recipe, though you can vary it according to your taste.

Makes about one cup of pesto.

4-5 cups fresh basil leaves

½ cup olive oil

⅓ cup pine nuts

2-3 garlic cloves

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup freshly grated Pecorino, Sardo or another hard flavorful cheese

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

• Combine first 4 ingredients in food processor or blender.
• Blend until a paste is formed, stopping often to push down basil.
• Add the cheeses and salt and blend until smooth.

If you are not going to use to pesto immediately, blend the first four ingredients and freeze.  Then, when you want to use it the pesto, defrost, add the cheese and salt and blend again.

Serve the pesto on the pasta of your choice, use as a dip, or drizzle it over fresh boiled potatoes or on grilled vegetables.

Variants: some recipes call for the addition of 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Others call for you to blanche the basil (put it into boiling water for about 30 seconds), remove immediately and drain well, squeezing out as much of the water as possible. (This is supposed to keep the basil bright green.)

Pasta Salad with Pesto and Nuts

A pasta salad with a bit of a difference - very simple and nice for a buffet.

1 pound pasta (bow ties or spirals)

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup pesto sauce

¼ cup chopped walnuts soaked in honey

lemon zest from one large lemon

salt and pepper to taste

• To a large pot of boiling water, add 1 teaspoon salt.
• Add noodles and cook just until tender but firm (al dente). Do not overcook the pasta.
• Drain and rinse with cold water.
• Mix the pasta with the pesto sauce, the chopped walnuts and the lemon zest.
• Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Risotto with Pesto from Sirisome & Risotto Milanese from Pierfrancesco

Last week (April 2013), in Kabul, at UNHCR Guesthouse Echo, Sirisome (from Laos) made a Risotto with Pesto. Today (12 April), Pierfrancesco made a Rissoto from Milano. Below are the two recipes.

Rissoto with Pesto

600 grams Risotto rice (about 60 grams per person)

Chicken broth (about 2 cups)

5-6 cloves garlic, chopped

Fresh basil leaves (handful)

Coarse salt, 1-2 teaspoons

2-3 tablespoons butter

Parmisan cheese – about a cup

Shrimp

Tomatoes – 5 or 6 large, chopped

Fresh pepper

• Cover risotto rice with water and bring to a boil. 
• Gradually add broth to the rice to keep it moist and cooking at a fast boil, stirring as necessary to prevent burning. 
•  As the broth is absorbed, keep the rice moist by adding more broth until the rice is soft. 
• In a mortar, mash/grind together the basil leaves, the garlic and the coarse salt. 
• When the rice is almost cooked, add basil, garlic salt mixture
• Add the butter and continue to stir rice. 
•  Add the Parmisan cheese. 
• In a frying pan or wok, stir fry the shrimp in a little olive oil, with salt and pepper. 
• Add the tomatoes and stir for just a minute. 
• Serve the risotto topped with the shrimp and tomatoes.

Risotto Milanese – from Pierfrancesco Natta

A native of Milan, Pierfrancesco today (12 April 2013)  made what he says is the staple of Milan. He brought back to Kabul (where we share a guesthouse) the key ingredients with him from Milan – the rice, the cheese, the mushrooms and the saffron. He says it is not his recipe --"It is what they cook in Milan."

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoon olive oil

600 grams Risotto rice

2 cups broth (chicken or beef or vegetable).

Handful of dried porcini mushrooms

Saffron (approx. 1 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon salt (more if you feel it is necessary)

Ground white pepper (optional)

Parmigiano-Reggiano (or Parmesan) cheese, ground

• In a large pot, sauté the onion in the olive oil.
• Add the rice and cover with water.
• Bring the pot to a boil.
• Add salt and stir.
• In another small pan, keep the broth hot.
• Add broth to the rice as needed to keep it liquid, adding more as the rice absorbs the broth, and stirring to make sure the mixture does not burn.
• Toss in the mushrooms about half way through the cooking. 
• When the rice is done and most of the broth has been absorbed, add the saffron and stir. 
• Taste and adjust the seasoning (more salt, and pepper if you like). 
•  Serve, topped with ground Parmigiano cheese