Creative Corner

Pesto Sauce

About two months ago I went to a wonderful little Italian restaurant in Manhattan. It is called Pellegreno’s and is located on Mulberry Street in little Italy. I order the Pesto and spaghetti dinner and was blown away. It was the absolute best pesto sauce I have ever had in my life. Ever since that day, I have had a craving for pesto sauce and I can’t get rid of it. About 3 weeks ago, I went to another Italian restaurant closer to my house in hopes for a great pesto dinner. I searched the menu and they didn’t even have pesto on it. What kind of Italian restaurant doesn’t have pesto sauce. Anyways, so that restaurant didn’t fill my pesto craving, so I decided to make it myself. I never made pesto, but am told it is very easy, plus I’m Italian so it should be just as easy as making sauce. I found a recipe that I think will be perfect. It’s from suite101.com and is called perfect pesto sauce recipe. Hope it comes close to Pellegreno’s sauce.

Pesto Recipe

2 cups basil leaves, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled

3 tablespoons pine nuts

1/3 cup Romano or parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1.Toast the pine nuts over medium low heat in a small dry skillet until lightly browned (2-3 minutes).

2.Chop the basil, garlic and toasted pine nuts in a food processor or blender. Once roughly chopped, slowly add the olive oil.

3.After the sauce is blended to the proper consistency, stir in the cheese by hand. Add salt and pepper to taste.