Tag: basil
Pesto, Pesto, Which One is Besto? (The OG One or the Guilt Free One)

Pesto, Pesto, Which One is Besto? (The OG One or the Guilt Free One)

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A favorite pasta dish in our house is Pesto with Linguine.  Years ago (I mean YEARS AGO), I clipped the LA Times winning Pesto recipe from their Basil Festival. The recipe was from the restaurant, Casa Monica, and has been my go-to Pesto ever since.  It starts with fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan Cheeses, and olive oil, very traditional, but finishes with Pecorino Romano, fresh tomatoes, and a healthy (lol) dollop of butter.  Boom, Besto-Pesto.

Alas, as much as we love Pesto, it is tough on the waistline so when we have an itch for Pesto, we turn to the Minimalist Baker and their version of Pesto. Water stands in for much of the oil and nutritional yeast replaces the cheese.  It’s tasty enough to satisfy your Pesto craving and it’s guilt-free.

Let’s Start at the Very Beginning- OG Pesto

Traditionally, Pesto is made with mortar and pestle.  Take the path of least resistance and use a food processor or blender.  It makes quick work of Pesto making.

Pesto is not only great on pasta, but drizzled on fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, as a sauce on chicken or fish,  or blended with mayo for a sandwich spread.

Calorie Worthy…occasionally.  After a long hike, bike ride or walk-go for it!

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CASA MONICA PESTO

LA Times Basil Festival
Course dinner, pasta
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Angel hair pasta, italian, linguine, Pesto, recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

Pesto Sauce

  • 2 cups packed basil
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 tablespoons lightly toasted pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese Grate cheese in food processor
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated romano cheese Grate cheese in food processor
  • 3 tablespoons softened butter

Pasta & Finishing Touches

  • 3-4 medium tomatoes peeled and seeded
  • 1 pound linguine
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

Making the Pesto

  • Toast pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat. Set aside to cool.
  • Place garlic, pine nuts and salt in food processor bowl, pulse a couple of times. With processor running add olive oil. Once the garlic and nuts are minced, add basil. Process until the basil leaves are finely minced but do not overprocess as the leaves will darken.
  • Beat in cheeses by hand, then butter.
  • Mince tomatoes very fine with a sharp knife. Tomatoes should not be pureed or mashed.

Making the Pasta

  • Cook linguine in boiling salted water until tender but firm as directed.
  • Drain noodles, reserving some of the pasta water. Add a small amount of butter to pasta. For each serving, add some tomatoes to the linguine, then add pesto, mix quickly and serve at once.
  • Makes about 1 1/2 cups sauce. Approximately 6-8 servings.

Notes

To store:  Place pesto in a small container and cover with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent oxidation.
To make Pesto Pasta Salad- add pesto to pasta to taste. Add toasted pinenuts, cherry tomatoes and poached chicken and /or corn kernels.

The Lean and Mean Pesto

A guilt-free stand-in for Pesto.  Fits the bill when you are counting calories!

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Vegan Pesto

A delightful vegan pesto adapted from Minimalist Baker. Use it just like traditional pesto!
Course Sauce
Cuisine Italian, vegan
Keyword basil, easy recipe, Pesto, pine nuts, sauce, vegan, Vegan pesto
Prep Time 10 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 food processor You could use a mortar and pestle

Ingredients

  • 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
  • 3 Tbsp toasted pine nuts Can substitute walnuts
  • 3 large cloves garlic peeled
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 3-4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt plus more to taste
  • 2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil*
  • 3-6 Tbsp water plus more as needed

Instructions

  • To a food processor or small blender, add the nuts, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and sea salt and pulse to mince nuts and garlic. Add basil leaves to bowl. With the machine running, stream half of the olive oil. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl. Stream the remaining olive oil. You should have a nice paste. Try to use the pulse button to avoid over-processing.
  • Then add 1 Tbsp (15 ml) water at a time until the desired consistency is reached - a thick but pourable sauce. Use the pulse function on your processor to avoid over-processing the basil.
  • Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor, or salt if it needs it.

Notes

Adjust the amount of nuts or garlic to taste.  Like a garlicky pesto, use more garlic.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. After that, pour remainder into ice cube molds, freeze, and store for up to 1 month or more.
Use this sauce as you would a traditional pesto with pasta, add to mayo for a Sammie spread, or thin it and drizzle on veggies.
Summer Garden Pasta, Tomatoes Everywhere, Except My Garden

Summer Garden Pasta, Tomatoes Everywhere, Except My Garden

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We apparently do not have the veggie garden green thumb.  We planted tomatoes and squash, then fertilized, watered, and even talked to the plants but (“big sigh”) have little to show for it.

The Tomato Tease

Just when I resigned myself to the fact that I am not a tomato whisperer, like a big tease, Ina Garten’s recipe for Summer Garden Pasta popped up on my screen.  It’s the perfect recipe, if your tomato plants yielded tomatoes, damn it.  I consoled myself by buying a basketful of beautiful cherry tomatoes at the Farmers Market.

Ina Garten’s Garden Pasta dish reminds me of a favorite recipe from Silver Palate (totally dating myself), Linguine with Tomato and Basil.  Back in the Day, Silver Palate, a tiny Upper Westside deli in Manhattan, published a whimsical cookbook that took all of us fledgling young cooks by storm. No pics, just cute drawings with how-to-entertain tips and recipe wisdom as side notes.  It was a huge hit, it was our Joy of Cooking.  My favorites included Decadent Chocolate Cake, Sour Cream Apple Pie, and their classic Chicken Marbella.

The Linguine with Tomato Basil is an uncooked sauce of tomatoes, with lots of garlic, basil, and a “hunka” Brie.  Add the hot pasta to the sauce and the cheese gets gooey and the tomatoes and garlic mellow.  Rich, delicious, and extremely decadent.

Ina’s version is as delicious, just not quite the caloric overload as the Silver Palate recipe (save it for a special occasion).  The dish is simple and so easy, it’s one I tell my kids to make.

This is How We Do It

Cut cherry tomatoes in half and toss them into a good-sized bowl. Add garlic, some chili flakes, salt, pepper, and finish with a nice olive oil (EVOO, lol).  Cover and let it sit and marinade for 4 hours. The tomatoes soften, the basil and garlic infuse the oil…it’s like they do a happy dance in the bowl and tango their way into a great sauce.

When it is time to eat, cook your Angel Hair Pasta and immediately toss it with the sauce.  Mix, finish with a generous amount of Parmesan Cheese (use the amount you want), garnish with basil leaves, and SERVE.  How easy is that? So, so yummy.

Grilled chicken goes well with the pasta.

Put this on your summer bucket list.  Go get some cherry tomatoes at your local farmers market if you didn’t grow any, it will be worth it.

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5 from 1 vote

Summer Garden Pasta

A delicious uncooked tomato sauce that takes advantage of summer tomatoes.
Course noodles, One dish meals, pasta
Cuisine American
Keyword Angel hair pasta, basil, cherry tomatoes, garlic, Uncooked Tomato Sauce
Prep Time 15 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 4 pints cherry tomatoes
  • Good olive oil extra virgin
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic 6 cloves
  • 18 large basil leaves julienned, plus extra for serving
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • Kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound dried angel hair pasta or a linguine fini
  • 1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for serving

Instructions

  • Cut tomatoes in half and place in a large bowl. Add ½ cup olive oil, minced garlic, basil leaves, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature for approximately 4 hours.
  • Just before you’re ready to serve, bring a large pot of water with a splash of olive oil and 2 tablespoons salt of Diamond Kosher salt or 1 generous tablespoon of regular salt. Bring to a boil and add the pasta. Cook al dente according to the directions on the package.
  • Drain the pasta well and add to the bowl with the cherry tomatoes. Add cheese and some extra fresh basil leaves and toss well. Serve immediately.

Notes

If you want a protein to go along, serve with grilled shrimp or grilled chicken.
East Meets West for Happy Hour (Korean Style Flatbread Pizza)

East Meets West for Happy Hour (Korean Style Flatbread Pizza)

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Right around this time, I catch myself wondering how quickly the year has flown by.  Summer was a blip on the screen and now Labor Day Weekend is here.  As a kid, Labor Day signaled the end of summer and BACK TO SCHOOL.  Since the weather is still warm enough, an outdoor happy hour and bbq is the perfect way to officially say goodbye to summer and usher in the fall.

Which means HAPPY HOUR FINGER FOOD, YUMMY, YUMMY, YUMMY.  What do you know, I found a winner in my latest favorite cookbook, Everyday Korean.  Pizza with an Asian riff, Korean Style Flatbread Pizza.

I test drove these bad boys on my postcard posse last week and got the thumbs up.  The base of our fusion pizza is Naan bread, which you can purchase at just about any self-respecting grocery store or at Costco.  I keep a stash in my freezer to warm in my toaster oven as needed.  The sauce for the pizza is made with Gochujang and sour cream.  The sour cream mellows the spicy pepper paste but you still get a nice kick.  Top the pizzas with shredded mozzarella and ANY TOPPING YOUR LITTLE HEART DESIRES.  I covered a couple with the classic fresh tomatoes and basil and a sprinkle of Parmigiano.  The next set had bits of leftover Korean bbq beef, green onions, and sesame seeds which proved to be a delicious combo.  I scattered spicy pickled cucumbers and leeks, a traditional banchan (Korean side dish), on the remaining Naan.  I can’t decide which was my favorite, I liked them all.

My next batch might have pineapple and prosciutto or teriyaki chicken and red onions.  Use your imagination or try your favorite pizza toppings.  Having friends over? Let them create their own. Enjoy!

Korean-Style Flatbread

A fusion pizza that is both easy and delicious!  Korean Pepper Paste and sour cream replace traditional tomato sauce on top of Naan bread base.

  • 4 naan (fresh store-bought or frozen)
  • 2 cups mozzarella (8 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup Gochujang Sour Cream

Gochujang Sour Cream Sauce

  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup Gochujang
  • sesame seeds, green onions (or fresh herbs of choice)

Toppings

  • tomatoes, basil, Korean bbq,
  • Your choice!
  1. Preheat oven to 425 F.Place naan on baking sheet.  Brush each naan with 2 tablespoons of Gochujang Sour Cream.  Divide the mozzarella among the top of naan.  Go crazy with your toppings.  Bake 10-12 minutes until cheese bubbles and the naan crisps.

Place sour cream and gochujang in a small bowl: stir to combine. Add any optional garnishes. Store in airtight container in fridge for up to 1 week. Stir before using.

 

 

 

 

Angel Hair Pasta with Tomatoes, Garlic and Basil
Will Cook for Tomatoes (Pasta with Tomatoes, Garlic and Basil)

Will Cook for Tomatoes (Pasta with Tomatoes, Garlic and Basil)

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This is going to be a short post.  I wanted to make sure I posted while all of you are harvesting your bushels of homegrown tomatoes (I am so jealous).  Yes, I see your photos on FB and Instagram of all those love apples ripening on the vine in your backyard.  I see the basket on your kitchen counter overflowing with heirloom tomatoes, Sweet 100’s and Early Girls and those gorgeous salads you are making with them. I hate you. Ok, I’m kidding, I don’t really hate you, but I do have tomato envy-so, so jealous.  We just haven’t had much luck with tomatoes lately. After looking at our sad vines, I caved and bought some dry farm tomatoes at the Farmer’s Market, I couldn’t resist.

I made a beeline home and used those tomatoes, and the few I was able to pull off our vines (so few, so sad), to make my favorite pasta dish,  Angel Hair Pasta with Tomato, Garlic, and Basil.  This dish captures the essence of summer, where the star are those vine-ripened, luscious tomatoes.  You know, the ones you grew and I had to buy (auugh, so fixated).  I pulled out my dog-eared copy of Kuleto’s Contemporary Italian Cookbook and flipped to the page for Angel Hair Pasta with Tomato, Garlic and Basil and in barely 30 minutes we were sitting down to the best damn bowl of pasta.  So delicious, so easy and so simple.

Angel Hair Pasta with Tomatoes, Garlic and Basil

All you need for this dish, besides tomatoes, is noodles, olive oil, garlic, and basil. That’s pretty much it.  How simple is that?! In full transparency, I didn’t have angel hair pasta so I used linguine fini.  Normally I would say NBD, but in this case, use angel hair pasta, it is the perfect match for this sauce.

So, yes, despite my tomato envy I’m passing this delicious recipe along to all of you who have that “difficult task” of figuring out what to do with all those homegrown tomatoes.  ALTHOUGH…another option, you could call me, I’ll gladly take some off your hands!

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Angel Hair Pasta with Tomatoes, Garlic, and Basil

Fresh summer tomatoes, garlic and basil the building blocks for a classic, delicious pasta dish
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Angel hair pasta, basil, garlic, tomatoes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup garlic thinly sliced
  • 7 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 2 cups fresh tomatoes seeded and diced, ~ 1pound
  • 2/3 cup basil leaves roughly chopped or julienned
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt or to taste
  • 1/2 TSP black pepper freshly ground
  • 6 ounces Angel Hair Pasta Capellini

Instructions

  • Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in sauce pan over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook slowly until garlic is lightly and evenly browned.  Reduce heat   to low add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper.  Cook just until tomatoes are heated through.  Remove 1/3 sauce from skillet and reserve.
    Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions in boiling, salted water.  Drain and add pasta and remaining olive oil to skillet.  Toss to coat with oil. Remove to serving bowl or leave in skillet and top with remaining sauce.  Serve with freshly grated parmesan if desired.
Summertime, summertime..Watermelon Tomato Salad

Summertime, summertime..Watermelon Tomato Salad

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One of the best things about summer, besides long lazy days and warm evenings for leisurely walks; is the abundance of fantastic produce.  Juicy sweet peaches, nectarines, sun ripened tomatoes, all sorts of melons and berries so sweet they taste like sugar. Farmer’s markets are literally bursting at the seams with crates filled and with summer’s bounty.  The other day I came home with heirloom tomatoes with one thing on my mind, a recipe from my weekly NYT Cooking newsletter, Tomato Watermelon Salad with Feta Cheese.    When the kids are home, a watermelon lasts a day at most, cut and consumed just like that. Poof, gone.  But with just two of us at home, a creative twist is needed to help us finish an entire melon.  This salad is the perfect answer.  Juicy chunks of watermelon, tomatoes, cucumbers, slivers of red onion, salty feta cheese, a basil and a balsamic dressing, hmmm,  a perfect summertime salad.  Enjoy!

**Don’t FREAK Out!**  The recipe does not have actual measurments!  Its pretty fast and loose.  Use a ratio of 1:1 watermelon to tomatoes.  4:1 for the watermelon to cucumbers (1/4 amount of cucumbers) and 8:1 for the red onion.  Really its to your taste and the amount you make depends on how many you are are serving.  The vinagrette is probably enough for a salad composed of half of a watermelon and 6-8 tomatoes. Crumble as much or as little feta as you like, it provides a nice tang and saltiness to the salad.  Variations:  Use mint instead of basil or a combination of the two.  Green onions instead of red onions or ricotta salata instead of feta.

Adapted from the New York Times

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Summertime, summertime..Watermelon Tomato Salad

Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword watermelon

Ingredients

  • 1 seedless watermelon cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 4-6 ripe assortment of ripe tomatoes seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • cucumbers peeled, seeded, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • red onion diced or thinly sliced
  • feta cheese of ricotta insalata crumbled
  • basil julienned

Dressing:

  • 2 tbsp Sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Combine watermelon, tomatoes, and cucumbers in a large bowl. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon kosher salt and mix. Let stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile make the dressing. Pour vinegar into a small bowl, whisk oil into vinegar into emulsion forms. Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Drain excess liquid from tomatoes and watermelon mixture. Add onions and julienned basil. Mix lightly. Crumble feta cheese on top of salad and drizzle with vinagrette. Serve.