Non only basil pesto – like for the classic genoese pesto – but most leafy vegetables and aromatic herbs are as well perfect to prepare a delicious one. After all the word ‘pesto’ is the past tense of the Italian verb “pestare” which means “to crush.”, since pesto is typically made by crushing the ingredients with a mortar and pestle.
Nowadays, however, the food processor makes everything faster and that’s exactly what we used.
We made a pesto by using rocket salad and we have also added almonds so to make up for the bitterness of rocket salad with the sweetness of almonds and they balance each other very well. What we have used it for? Here it is: spaghetti-with-rocket-salad-and-almond-pesto
Serves: 2 | Preparation time: 5 mins
- Rocket salad: 200 g
- Almond flakes: 30 g
- a tablespoon of grated Parmigiano
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO): to taste
- A pinch of salt
Method
Rinse then dry the rocket salad.
Place the rocket salad in a food processor along with 2 tbsp of olive oil, almonds, grated Parmigiano and a pinch of salt. Blend until the mixture has a smooth texture.
Tip: Be careful when using a food processor for blending nuts (almonds in this specific case) even if you also add other ingredients. The friction causes the oil contained in the nuts to warm up very quickly, thereby adding an unpleasant burnt taste to your pesto. Switch off the food processor once or twice and mix the ingredients together with a spoon before resuming.
Taste it; if it’s still too bitter for your tastebuds, just add more almonds or even some pine nuts if you have them.
How to store it?
Store the pesto in a sterilized glass jar covered with a rather thick layer of olive oil. It will keep for a maximum of 4 to 5 days.
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