Being born in Genua, the place where pesto comes from, it is sometimes difficult to "betray" the traditional family recipe and make a different version of this famous cold pasta sauce.
And yet, a couple of days ago I didn't feel guilty at all when I transformed some ingredients that I had in the fridge into a "new-age" pesto that was absolutely yummie.
Moreover, this pesto is perfect for those who are allergic to nuts (the original recipe contains of course pine nuts and walnuts).
What I find absolutely necessary for this pesto is a food processor. I love this little wondrous machine that gives me the possibility to prepare a pesto with just the right structure in a matter of seconds. When I was a child my mum used to make pesto with pestle and mortar. Very lovely, traditional and almost romantic way to make pesto but let's face it: I don't have the patience - nor the time - to do that. And I guess I'm not the only one. Most of all, my Magimix - oops! I said the M-word! - works perfectly and very rapidly, and the results are quite amazing.
I wouldn't process the ingredients too long since a bit of chunkiness makes this sauce more interesting, but I have to say that a smooth cream is not bad at all either.
For this version of pesto I use fresh garlic which I find more delicate. For the traditional one I prefer normal garlic.
Pesto cremoso di basilico e zucchina
Ingredients, serves 4
1 big bunch of basil
1/2 raw courgette (a whole one if it's small)
80 gr grated pecorino sardo cheese (Sardinian sheep cheese)
6 tbsp. cream cheese (Philadelphia or similar)
2 cloves of fresh garlic
1 dl. whipping cream
1 dl. olive oil extravergine
salt and black pepper
Mix all the main ingredients - except for the courgette - in the food processor until you obtain a nice, smooth cream.
Add the courgette, previously cut in big pieces, and mix for a couple of seconds longer. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve on hot spaghettoni (thick spaghetti) or linguine.
Recent Comments