Hey Pesto! The Italian Magician

Bright, vivid green sauces are not something you would automatically associate with good food. In fact, it’s probably more likely to make you head for the door. There is an exception to this rule, however, and that is pesto.

This Italian favourite combines basil, pine nuts and olive oil to create a base that is one of the most versatile cooking ingredients around. Like the magician it is, pesto can take a dull dish and transform it, adding a vibrancy of flavour and colour. The list of dishes it graces - or can grace - is nigh-on endless and if it’s something quick and easy you’re after then pesto is probably a prime ingredient.*

I almost always have a jar of it in my fridge, but whist absently flicking through some blogs one morning whilst munching my way through my Weetabix, I came across a couple of posts talking about making their own. OK, this is not exactly a shocking revelation, but it suddenly made me question why I had never made it. I certainly buy it often enough, and seriously, how hard can it be?

Well, I don’t have a food processor - which is a bit of a snag - but I decided that I’d have a go with my hand blender - if it was a little too chunky I could always just say it was ‘rustic pesto’. Fast forward another month or so and it had still not happened. But whilst, once again, munching a bowl of cereal I came across another pesto-related blog post, one which grabbed half-asleep brain and made me resolve to try it. It was for a nut-free pesto.

Whilst I am many things in life, a nutter I am not. And by that I of course am talking about the fact that I am not a big fan of nuts - but think what you will about other definitions. No peanuts, cashews or walnuts grace my table. It’s not that I’m going to suffer a serious malady if I consume them, it’s just that I don’t really like the flavour or texture of most nuts. It’s stupid, I know but the only nuts I eat are ginger nuts, but I’m reliably informed that they don’t count. I’m working on it though, because it’s ridiculous to banish an entire food group.

Yup, I’ve noticed the contradiction here about not liking nuts in any way but loving pesto. Told you it was stupid, didn’t I? It’s almost as crazy as eating cooked, but not raw tomatoes (although I’ve no idea who would do something like that…).

Back to the cereal bowl and blog reading, the recipe I came across was on the ever-wonderful Two Peas and Their Pod and ditched the pine nuts in favour of spinach. Yes, spinach. My sleep-ridden mind barely comprehended this combo, but it definitely knew that I was going to give it a try. Ditch the part I don’t like, replace it with something I’m strangely addicted to. Seemed reasonable, if not necessarily normal.

If you’re recoiling in horror at this abomination of a classic I would implore you to stop being quite so narrow-minded and give it a go. It’s even more vivid that most pesto and it tastes virtually identically to the normal incarnation and a lot less likely to cause an anaphylactic shock.

*Insert own joke here

Basil & Spinach Pesto

This recipe is adapted from Spinach Basil Pesto on Two Peas and Their Pod, however I’ve adjusted it a fair bit, so feel happy to reproduce it here. This recipe makes enough for about a jarful, or one of those tubs you buy hummus in at the supermarket. The basil:spinach ratio is approximately 2:5, but the second time you make it you can adjust to your tastes.

Ingredients

1 large handful of basil
2.5 large handfuls of spinach
4 or 5 tablespoons of olive oil
2 large pinches of sea salt
3 black peppercorns
50g Parmesan (or other hard strong cheese)
1 tsp lime juice
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp butter

Directions

Peel and crush your garlic using the side of a knife and throw into bowl or large mixing jug (if you have a food processor, put it all in there and save on the washing up). On top of it add the pepper corns, half the salt, lime juice, butter and half of the olive oil. Swirl the bowl to mix the ingredients and then grate in half of the Parmesan cheese; take the other half of the Parmesan and crumble it into the bowl/jug.

Wash the basil and spinach liberally under the tap and shake most of the water off. Add this to the other ingredients and toss liberally. Get out your hand-held blender and set it to ‘pulse mode’, then bit by bit break the leaves down and mix them into the other ingredients. Be careful as it’s likely to everywhere if you’re not. Slowly add the remaining olive oil to the mixture (it will help to bind it), adding in more than the amount stated above if the mixture looks too dry.

Once blitzed to a pesto-like consistency, taste the mixture to ensure it’s flavourful, and if not add some more seasoning.

Transfer into a air-tight container for storage, or use immediately. It should keep for a couple of weeks, although mine only lasted three days (before I had eaten it all).

Craig (206 Posts)

Edinburgh-dwelling, baking and food-obsessed, twenty-something adventure enthusiast. Runs on liberal amounts of coffee, cheese, cake and gin; bribable with same.