Comments on: Dinner With My Family #7: Spaghetti di Pesto alla Genovese

By: Saryn

Saryn — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:34:51 +0000

In the summer we add cherry tomato halves from our garden when mixing in the pesto plus some freshly ground pepper.

By: Karen

Karen — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:10:03 +0000

Thank you everyone for the tip about freezing the pesto – didn’t know you could do that. What an easy dinner that would be for those times one doesn’t want to cook or really make a mess.

By: SwingCheese

SwingCheese — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:09:48 +0000

Another variation is to use spinach with (or in place of) the basil. Pesto is very forgiving when it comes to using different ingredients.

By: gail

gail — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 15:36:56 +0000

Here is an easy way to make the recipe even better–lightly toast the nuts before you put them in the food processor. It will make the pesto taste amazing.

By: littlepitcher

littlepitcher — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 15:04:09 +0000

Use one of the milder greens, and pecans instead of pine nuts. I’m allergic to pine nuts so I substitute almost any nut. Raw peanuts also work well, and raw garbanzo beans have a taste similar to raw peanuts but only 2/3 of the calorie count.

I’d love to see some instructions on canning this stuff. Current USDA recommendations don’t allow canning with oil, but if it can be done commercially, home canners should be able to do it.

By: AniVee

AniVee — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 19:58:53 +0000

THANK YOU #11 kristine for the tip about the lemon juice. Great recipe, Trent!

Using PISTACCIO nuts instead of pinoli or walnuts or almonds makes a pesto that is out of this world!

I omit the salt in the pesto but always serve Parmesan cheese (which is quite salty) with the pasta. This is one of my absolutely favorite fast dishes.

By: deRuiter

deRuiter — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 18:43:53 +0000

Thank you! Great idea, at the end of the season we have huge basil bushes and it always seemed a waste to compost them. This dish might have been served by chopping the broccoli (it was laready cooked) and mixing it in with the pasta and pesto. I’d then serve with small green salad.

By: kk

kk — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 12:07:33 +0000

This looks great and easy. Funny but I never realized how easy it was to make your own pesto. (& I can imagine so much more inexpensive.) I’m going to add it to our rotating weekly menu plan. Thanks for the great idea.

By: Eric

Eric — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 02:53:33 +0000

My mother would make pesto in bulk and freeze in tupperware. The trick she used was to make sure the containers were air bubble free and then pour a tiny layer of olive oil over top of the pesto, this prevents any freezer burn. We would have pesto year round from those containers and you would never know it wasn’t fresh from the garden.

By: rosa rugosa

rosa rugosa — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 02:02:31 +0000

Liane, that sounds wonderful!
I grow basil every summer, but it’s been ages since I made pesto. Definitely adding to my “must do” list for this summer. Thanks Trent!

By: Liane

Liane — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 00:52:23 +0000

Another great way to use the pesto is in a grilled cheese sandwich. Use the pesto as you would butter on one side of each slice of bread. Add a slice of mozzarella cheese and top that with a slice of large tomato, cover with the other slice of bread (pesto is on the inside of sandwich) and toast on the griddle, turning to brown each side.
It is absolutely delicious!

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 00:40:56 +0000

We usually use almonds for the pine nuts, and I never use more than 2 tablespoons of olive oil, just add a little water or stock to thin if necessary. If you still want that cheezy flavor, use a little nutritional yeast instead. You will never miss the parmesan.

By: 8sml

8sml — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 23:52:33 +0000

You can also make good pesto by replacing the basil with nettles (blanch for 1 minute first) or garlic scapes (in which case, you won’t need minced garlic).

By: NMPatricia

NMPatricia — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 23:29:25 +0000

Gee, and I thought I would be original and point out that pesto doesn’t have to be made with pine nuts and pesto. I have made it with spinach or zucchini. Although my favorite is with the basil.

One of my favorite dinners.

By: Carrie

Carrie — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 22:54:45 +0000

I’ll have to try the pesto with walnuts (or any of the other non-pine nut options). Although I love the taste of pine nuts, I am apparently one of the unfortunate few afflicted with “pine mouth,” which leaves me with a nasty metallic taste in my mouth for many days. So, if you’ve never tried pine nuts, beware!

Thanks for sharing your recipes, Trent!

By: kristine

kristine — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 22:53:16 +0000

A quick note: add a bit of lemon juice before you freeze or store it- it will stay a gorgeous green!

By: Vivianne

Vivianne — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 22:33:39 +0000

Make in bulk in the summer(when basil is in season) and freeze in ice cube trays. For best texture, freeze without added cheese, then add freshly grated parmesan/romano cheese if desired at cooking time. I pull a pesto cube or two out of the freezer when I start the water boiling for the pasta, then add a few spoonfuls of boiling water when the pasta is almost done to complete the thaw and improve the spreading of the pesto sauce. In fact, that’s looking like a good dinner idea for tonight.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 22:23:09 +0000

I am Italian and I gotta say there is nothing surprising about the food we eat being healthy, nor is our diet pasta-heavy. Italian dishes are not all full of mozzarella and ground beef.

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 22:04:47 +0000

Jamie at An Oregon Cottage uses sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts. I’m going to try it this week.

By: Tracy

Tracy — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 21:52:09 +0000

I would even suggest just tossing the vegetables in with the pasta – it’ll save a dish and add texture and variety in each bite. And be extra delicious!