Pesto

I am a pasta lover, though and through. I would probably be content having pasta in one form or another every day of the week. However, once the basil comes up in the garden and there is enough for pesto, that is a special treat all on its own.

I've read plenty of pieces about how pesto should be made with a mortar and pestle, but I take no issue with my food processor pesto, and I'd rather have my sauce made in the time it takes for my pasta to cook.

This is the recipe my mom adapted years ago - she changed the nuts, the cheese, and most notably the quantity - the original was meant for double the amount of pasta!

Naturally I think this recipe is pretty much perfect, and of course it doesn't just have to be over pasta. I've added it to rice, pizza, and grilled cheese. Though it's important to remember that pesto is never supposed to be cooked, so it should be a last minute addition to any dish that is spending a lot of time under heat, and you can eat your leftovers cold out of the fridge.

-Lydia

   

Basil Pesto
By Cooking in Cashmere

Our take on a classic.

Total time: 30 Minutes

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
2 cups of fresh basil (packed)
1/4 -1/2 cup of walnuts 
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 cup of olive oil
3/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
1/4 cup of reserved pasta water
splash of cream (optional)
1 pound of pasta of your choice


Instructions:

1. Prepare water for the pasta. While the water is coming to the boil, prepare your pesto.
2. Add the basil, walnuts, peeled cloves of garlic, and salt to a food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped.
3. With the food processor on, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until everything is incorporated.
4. Add the cheese, processing briefly, just until incorporated
5. Add some of the pesto to the serving bowl and mix in a tablespoon of the reserved pasta water and cream if desired.
6. Add the pasta to the bowl followed by the remaining pesto and toss until combined. Add more of the reserved water to reach your desired consistency. 
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Italian Tomato Sauce

When it comes to food traditions, what is better than Sunday Dinner? For us, that means a pot of sauce simmering on the stove, soon to be spooned over pasta - vermicelli or capellini if we have our way. This is the recipe of our family, and while we've come to realize that every Italian family likely has their own special recipe they would never dream of deviating from, we wanted to share ours all the same.

This will be the first of several Sunday Dinner recipes to share, and the base of many future recipes as well.

-Cindy & Lydia

  

Italian Tomato Sauce
By Cooking in Cashmere

Simple tomato sauce.

Prep time: 30 Minutes
Cook time: 1 1/2 Hours
Total time: 2 Hours

Yield: 6 cups

Ingredients:
2 28 oz cans of whole Italian plum tomatoes (no puree, but with basil is okay)
3 oz Italian tomato paste
1/3 cup of olive oil
4 whole cloves of garlic
8-10 leaves of fresh basil or half a teaspoon dry
1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste

Special Equipment
Food Mill
Flame Tamer

Instructions:

1. In a 4 quart sauce pot on low, heat olive oil. 
2. Add the whole garlic cloves, and allow to slowly sauté until golden. If cloves are not completely submerged, I like to use the flame tamer to prop the pot up at an angle. Do not allow to brown. Approximately 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your cloves. 
3. Place food mill over pot and turn heat up to medium. You want it to be hot enough that the tomatoes will sizzle a bit when you put them in.
4. Run the tomatoes through the mill until nothing remains in the mill but skins and seeds.*
5. Add in basil, paste, salt and pepper.
6. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer, and place flame tamer** under pot.
7. Simmer with lid slightly ajar for 1 1/2  hours, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasonings to taste.

*If you don't have a food mill, run the tomatoes through the blender briefly. If you prefer a chunky sauce, put the tomatoes in a bowl first and crush with your hands.

**If you don't have a flame tamer, be diligent about the stirring, you don't want it to burn in the middle.