The strands of spaghetti were vital, almost alive in my mouth, and the olive oil was singing with flavor. It was hard to imagine that four simple ingredients [olive oil, pasta, garlic and cheese] could marry so perfectly. — Ruth Reichl, Tender at the Bone
Pesto is a versatile recipe that can be used for many things in the kitchen. It is fantastic with pasta, traditionally with trenette, a ribbon shape or bowtie noodle, though today any shape or form is accepted. It’s a great marinade for chicken or pork, a perfect cocktail dip for seafood or bread, and a fabulous thick sauce used to top minestrone, an Italian vegetable soup. The mixture itself can be prepared ahead of time and placed in the freezer for weeks, as long you do not include the cheese. (From the freezer thaw out in the refrigerator, then add the cheese before serving to keep the taste fresh.)
Pesto was invented in Genoa, a northern Italian region close to the border of Monaco and France. The French version is called soupe au Pistou, exactly like pesto except it has no pine nuts and parsley, with tomatoes sometimes added. This place is rich in seafood due to its vast coastal fronts, and the people in this area prefer using herbs rather then spices in their cooking.
The Genoese were excellent traders and due to the spice trade, spices were traded for gold. The word “pesto” literally means pestle, the item used to crush the basil, garlic and pine nuts together in a marble mortar with the oil gently added to create a thick paste. For me, the best pesto I’ve ever tasted was at restaurant Pecks in Milan, home of the best ingredients found all over Italy. I ate pesto chicken with fettuccini pasta and ciabatta bread (known as slipper bread because it is shaped like your slippers).
To make excellent pesto, place all ingredients except the cheese and half the oil in a blender or food processor. Blend for 30 seconds. Gently add the remaining oil — around two tablespoons per addition — and blend for 10 seconds. Repeat the process until there is no more oil and the sauce is thick in consistency or resembles paste. Add cheese last, mix well, and serve.
If used as a marinade, make and rub pesto over meat and allow at least one to eight hours in the refrigerator for proper marinating. If still not ready to cook, freeze the meat, then thaw when ready to cook. Use a meat thermometer to correctly check the inside temperature. For chicken it should be 185 Fahrenheit (this ensures it is cooked all the way to the bone); for pork it is 170 Fahrenheit.
For pasta, cook according to package directions. Strain and add hot pasta to sauce. Mix well and top with extra Parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese. Pasta can be prepared ahead of time by placing the cooked pasta in a bowl and putting it in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, dunk the cooked pasta in boiling water for two minutes. Strain, add sauce, top with cheese.
Pesto Sauce
A) 2 cups washed, dried fresh basil leaves without stems, 4 cloves peeled garlic, 1/4 cup pine nuts (Santi’s) or use toasted cashew nuts, 2 tsp. rock salt, 1 tsp. ground peppercorn, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
B) Procedure: Put in a blender fresh basil leaves, garlic, nuts, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup olive oil. Blend. Stop blender and scrape down leaves. Blend again. Gradually add remaining oil. Lastly, add Parmesan cheese. Blend a few seconds more.
C) Note: Above good for one cooked 450-gram package colored or white ribbon pasta (farfalle). Toss well. For variety, you may top pasta with drained canned tuna (1 cup) or cooked shrimps, mussels or clams, or cooked chicken cubes or beef strips.
D) Pesto is an ideal dip for breadsticks.
E) For Roast Chicken Pesto: Cut off neck of 1.1-kilo chicken (wingtips and top ass removed). Separate skin from flesh with your fingers. Rub pesto sauce in between skin and flesh, cavity, and top of chicken. Tie legs with a string. Put chicken in roasting rack on top of foil-lined tray. Bake at 375 F or 185 C for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Use 1 tbsp. rock salt instead of 2 tsp. rock salt in your pesto sauce.
F) Ideal for grilled fishes like salmon, tuna, tanguingue, squid or whole tilapia. Brush grill pan with oil. Rub both sides of 1-kilo fish steaks with pesto sauce. Grill until fish is firm.
G) For steamed or boiled broccoli, baby carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, etc., put a dollop of pesto before serving. Good for 2 kilos vegetables.
Discovery of the Week
A must-try is the apple a la mode at Grams Diner Rockwell Makati. Sinfully delicious, great tasting and accompanied by ice cream and chocolate syrup. For sausage lovers, you must try Mickey’s Delicatessen along Jupiter Street, Makati. Full of flavor and cooked to perfection, the sausages are some of the best in town. Pair them with artisan bread from Johnlu and Marilou Koa’s shop beside it. Heavenly!
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