Firstly, thank you for your reassurance about Tillie, I am feeling sooo normal this morning!
Last night I had the best dinner and thought I better share. I bought all the ingredients to follow a recipe for pesto but as dinner time rolled around (and kids were going nuts for dinner) I decided to just go with it. So I’m calling this my cheat’s pesto as I didn’t follow the recipe, I didn’t follow quantities, didn’t chop a thing or toast my nuts. I just made it to taste and let my blender do it for me. Have I shown you my blender? Earlier in the year I got a Kitchen Aid blender to match my kitchen aid and the dear little thing hasn’t had much of a workout but pesto put her to the test yesterday.
2 bunches of basil (roughly 2 cups and you just want the leaves)
2 garlic cloves (peeled and flattened with your knife)
about 100g pine nuts (you can toast them if you have time but I had none and was in a rush)
about 1/3 cup grated parmesan
about 3/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
So I just chucked in the basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan and 1/2 the olive oil and blended. Make it as chunky or fine as you like. I made ours fine because I wanted to test it out on the kids. Then add in the rest of your oil while the motor is running and you have the consistency you’re after. Season with salt and pepper. Put in a bowl/jar and cover with a bit of oil so that it doesn’t dry out or turn brown.
This makes enough for 2 dinners so last night was just simple fettuccine with pesto and tonight I’m thinking some salmon fillets with pesto on top and some mashed potatoes (comfort food here we come). I don’t know that I’ll do PW mashed potatoes which are the ultimate comfort food with cream, cream cheese and butter……….
Ohhh yummy, thank you for sharing. I love your blog BTW, I have only looked through a reader for ages and didn’t notice how lovely and clean it looks. Hope Tillie is getting better. Sam is a very frustrated 3yo right now and I have to tread very carefully because he has inherited my stubborn nature. I know what you are going through.
Oh, I never chop anything when I make pesto….. just all in the blender like you. I had never considered it to be a cheats version….
oh DROOOOOOL
Yummo!
Corrie I don’t see anything cheaty about that! It’s how you make pesto!
Looks yummy. Not sure why its cheating though. Seems like the basic traditional pesto recipe.
And that PW mashed potato recipe is pure evil.
Can’t wait to try it.
Andi x
oh sounds yummy
Forget the recipe, ahhh, my KitchenAid appliances in red say hello to your cream ones, they are the best ever!! Your blender looks quite modern to mine, ahhhhh.
Hugs to Tillie, she & my 3rd born will be great friends forever!! Love Posie
I love easy and yummy by the sounds too… Bonus..
hugs Dawn x x x
This is certainly not cheating, this is exactly how my Italian Mother-In-Law makes it!!! Pasta con Pesto (as we call it) is standard Sunday night dinner in our house and if I even try something a little different I get major protests from Master 4 and Miss 2!!!