Pesto sauce - general principles and methods of cooking
It would seem that what is not in our kitchen, what mechanisms and devices - mixers, blenders, combines. However, no, no, but you have to get the good old stupa and work as in the old days. Say - why? For example, to make Italian pesto sauce - well, he doesn’t like new products, he prefers to grind the main ingredients with a stupa and pestle. The sauce has some kind of energy that can be created only manually.
The authorship of the Pesto sauce is attributed to the Persians, it received its name from the word trample, rub, crush. In any eatery in Italy you will be served this sauce, and everywhere it will be different. The original sauce is green in color, as it includes the obligatory green basil leaves. It is served along with pasta or lasagne, sometimes in soups, or simply spreading it on bread or toast. According to legend, the sailors took it with them on long voyages, and when they descended on dry land, they emanated a bright smell of basil. Red color is obtained by adding tomatoes, but not fresh, but always dried.
Pesto Sauce - Food Preparation
The exact proportions of the sauce does not exist. However, the main ingredients are almost constant. First of all, it is basil. Only leaves of green are taken, red is not suitable - it has too bright aroma and can paint the dish in an unattractive color. Parmesan is a necessary ingredient, from hard cheeses it is most suitable. Some try to replace it with suluguni or sour cream cheeses, but these are variations on the theme of Pesto.
Pine nuts - seeds of Italian pini. In size, they are much larger than Siberian cedar nuts. In simpler versions, walnuts, cheaper cheeses and vegetable oil are added. Sometimes mint, sheep cheese is added to the sauce. For the Italian pasta will need pasta. Pumpkin pesto is cooked from pumpkin seeds, in Russia instead of basil, wild garlic has taken root.
Pesto Sauce - the best recipes
Recipe 1: Classic Pesto for meat, fish, spaghetti
A simple sauce will add variety to meat and fish. It is very simple to make it - you do not need to cook or fry anything, just enough prepared ingredients to grind and mix.
Ingredients: basil bunch, cheese (50 grams, parmesan), olive oil (100 grams), garlic (2 cloves), pine nuts (50 grams), juice of half a lemon.
Method of preparation
Prepare the products - peel the garlic, divide into pieces, rinse and dry the basil, finely chop. Grate cheese on a coarse grater. Mix the ingredients and grind in a mortar. Of course, no one can forbid using an electric meat grinder or blender. If you do decide to grind in a mortar, mix the ingredients gradually. Mix with vegetable oil. Our task is to get a homogeneous mass, but still not overdo it. Season to taste with salt and lemon juice. You can serve Pesto with meat or fish dishes, or simply with croutons. If part of the sauce remains unused, it is better to freeze it. In a refrigerator, store in a glass jar.
Recipe 2: Pesto Sauce with Tomatoes
This sauce is also used for pasta, pizza, for cooking lasagna, or with croutons and crackers. Sun-dried tomatoes can be cut into slices or chopped through a meat grinder. We just fry the pieces of fresh tomatoes in a pan in a little oil.
Ingredients: mozzarella cheese (125 grams), tomatoes (6-8 pieces), garlic (3 cloves), parmesan (grate, 50 grams), nuts (pine, roasted, 30 grams), olive oil ( 125 grams), balsamic vinegar (1 spoon), salt, pepper.
Method of preparation
Slice tomatoes and cheese into thin slices. Fry the tomatoes and lay out the cheese. We wash basil, then separate the leaves from the stems. We make mashed garlic and leaves in a mortar or in a blender, rub cheese, crush nuts with olive oil. All mix, season with salt, pepper, add dried tomatoes, cut into small pieces. We decorate with basil leaves.
Sample dishes with pesto sauce
Recipe 1: Fish in Pesto Sauce
Dense sauce makes the fish dense, delicate and permeates with aromas of basil and garlic. Fish is better than dry species, lean and non-greasy. In the sauce, add the more familiar to us parsley or celery. Ingredients: fish fillet (500 grams), salt, pepper, Pesto sauce.
Pesto sauce: garlic (2 cloves), green basil, pine nuts, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, salt, parsley or celery.
Method of preparation
Grease with vegetable oil baking dish. Foil can be laid at the bottom of the mold to make it easier to wash it later. Salt the fillet on one side and pepper. Cover with sauce. We expose the form in a well-heated oven and bake at 200 degrees.
Recipe 2: Pesto Paste
A distinctive feature of pasta in Italian is that it does not boil until the end, and then absorbs some more water. Therefore, it never sticks together.
Ingredients: macaroni (1 pack, 450 grams), Pesto sauce, a little olive oil and Parmesan cheese.
Method of preparation
Boil the pasta. Drain the water, but leave a cup of broth. Ready-made pasta mix with a spoon of olive or butter. There should be some liquid on the bottom of the pan. Olive oil does not dry out the pasta, they become more juicy. Add the sauce to the pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan. This kind of cheese melts only at high temperatures, so it will not melt in hot pasta.
Pesto Sauce - useful tips from experienced chefs
- Fish dishes with sauce are especially tasty. Try fillets of fish, for example, salmon, wrap in thinly sliced ham, pour a little olive oil and bake in the oven on high heat. Delicious, especially with the usual vegetable salad.
- To store the sauce, the transparent glass container is sterilized, the sauce is laid out in it and sent for storage in the refrigerator.
- Pesto is a great alternative to tomato pizza sauce. The sauce can be served with baked in the oven or grilled vegetables and greens.
- If it was not possible to get pine nuts, put almonds or hazelnuts in a mortar.
