We decided to make a basil pesto out of the remaining basil from my CSA delivery. I never really follow a recipe for pesto and never worry about having pine nuts – I find them to be expensive and I always manage to burn them when I try to “toast lightly”. I always have raw almonds in the pantry, and that is what I used for this recipe.
Ingredients
- a bunch of fresh basil
- 1/3 cup almonds
- 3 small cloves of garlic (I get my garlic from my CSA and even the smallest clove packs a big punch)
- 1 serrano chili
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil added while running the food processor until it is no longer dry
I picked up a package of Pasta Etc.’s vegan spinach fettuccine from Whole Foods to serve with the pesto. I really enjoyed cooking with this fettuccine because it did not easily overcook, which I generally find to be a problem with fresh vegan pastas.
We also made a fresh caprese salad using the Black Prince tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella and some olive oil. I love how fresh this salad always tastes, especially with the lightness of the fresh cheese. One of these days, I’ll attempt making my own fresh mozza, but for now, a quick trip to Whole Foods always does the trick. One of the best things about this salad was using the leftovers on some italian bread for breakfast the next morning – put it all in the toaster oven until it melted together and it was divine!
It’s one of those things you get to “wing”. I don’t think I’ve ever followed a recipe for pesto. Its quite personal, a bit like hummus or guacamole. Looks lovely.
I agree! I think that attitude towards so many recipes has made this blogging experience a challenge – I have to consciously remember to measure which is so unlike my usual style.