Pesto Please

Nothing in the directions for making pesto says you need a strong arm, but if you are making pesto the traditional way in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle, a pitcher’s arm for grinding the ingredients to a paste is nearly as important as the herbs. Pesto, from pestare, which means “to pound,” is one of Italy’s oldest sauces. Made with only a handful of ingredients (basil, garlic, olive oil and nuts), pesto originated in Genoa, where some of the best basil for making pesto grows.

We have never been ones to wiggle out of trying a good recipe, but making pesto the old-fashioned way calls for more time and muscle-power than we can spare. Happily, there is a shortcut, and it comes from Marcella Hazan, doyenne of Italian cooking.  “Blender pesto is so good we should enjoy it with a clear conscience,” she writes.  And so, we plugged in our processor and whirled up a batch of cilantro pesto.

Although basil is the traditional herb for making pesto, we have seen recipes using everything from arugula to spinach. Some versions, with sun-dried tomatoes or sweet peppers, are made without so much as a single leaf. Pestos can be prepared ahead and refrigerated. For home cooks always looking for ways to add flavor to foods, pesto works like a charm. In addition to tossing with pasta, pesto adds a zesty kick to everything from baked potatoes to scrambled eggs and salad dressings. Think of it as the culinary equivalent of money in the bank.

Linguine with Cilantro Pesto

Photo by Mark Boughton; styling by Teresa Blackburn

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Although basil is certainly the most common kind of pesto, this no-cook summer sauce can be made with a wide variety of herbs, including cilantro. Try it on chicken, fish and vegetables or as a dip.

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves
¾ cup packed fresh cilantro
½ cup packed fresh parsley
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
¼ cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
12 ounces dried linguine, cooked
and drained

Instructions

1. Place garlic in a food processor, pulse to chop. Add cilantro, parsley, oil, cheese, walnuts, lemon juice, salt and pepper; process until a paste forms. Toss with warm pasta.
Serves 6.
Recipe by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, "Relish a new American farmer," July 2007.

Nutritional Information

Per serving: 430 calories, 25g fat, 10g prot., 43g carbs., 3g fiber, 230mg sodium.

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