Cooks Illustrated suggests pounding the basil to release its flavorful oils into the pesto more readily. I like to add some fresh Italian parsley and some baby spinach leaves to keep the pesto from darkening. Pesto can be kept in an airtight container, cove…
What you'll need
Ingredients
Fresh Pesto
¼ cup pine nuts , toasted (or substitute almonds or walnuts)
3 medium cloves garlic , unpeeled
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
½ cup baby spinach leaves
3 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves (optional)
½ cup high quality extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano
The method
Directions
01
Toast the nuts in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until just golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes; set aside. Add the garlic to the empty skillet and toast over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant and the color of the cloves deepens slightly, about 7 minutes. Let the garlic cool slightly, then peel, and chop.
02
Place the basil and parsley in a heavy-duty 1-gallon zipper-lock plastic bag. Pound the bag with the flat side of a meat pounder or rolling pin until all the leaves are bruised.
03
Process the nuts, garlic, bruised basil and parsley, spinach, olive oil, and 1⁄2 teaspoon salt in a food processor until smooth, stopping as necessary to scrape down the sides of the bowl, about 1 minute. Stir in the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste.
This vibrant, flavor-packed dish is perfect for easy entertaining or effortless weeknight dinners. Juicy, marinated chicken roasts atop a bed of colorful vegetables—artichokes, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and lemon slices—infused with briny capers and fresh…
This quick and easy meatball recipe from Cook’s Country utilizes a few shortcuts that make it an easy recipe for weeknight cooking. Their technique of simmering the meatballs in the tomato sauce in the ambient heat of the oven cooks them evenly without requ…
This is a quick and easy way to cook chicken cutlets. As with most coatings, it helps to have everything lined up in order, to make the assembly quick and easy. You can easily do a salad version by adding some arugula to the cherry tomatoes.
Fold in half along dotted line, blank sides facing in
Fold in half along dotted line, blank sides facing in
Cook Like James
Fresh Basil Pesto
Prep
Cook
Yield
Cooks Illustrated suggests pounding the basil to release its flavorful oils into the pesto more readily. I like to add some fresh Italian parsley and some baby spinach leaves to keep the pesto from darkening. Pesto can be kept in an airtight container, cove…
Ingredients
Fresh Pesto
¼ cup pine nuts , toasted (or substitute almonds or walnuts)
3 medium cloves garlic , unpeeled
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
½ cup baby spinach leaves
3 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves (optional)
½ cup high quality extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano
Cook Like James · The method
Directions
1
Toast the nuts in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until just golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes; set aside. Add the garlic to the empty skillet and toast over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant and the color of the cloves deepens slightly, about 7 minutes. Let the garlic cool slightly, then peel, and chop.
2
Place the basil and parsley in a heavy-duty 1-gallon zipper-lock plastic bag. Pound the bag with the flat side of a meat pounder or rolling pin until all the leaves are bruised.
3
Process the nuts, garlic, bruised basil and parsley, spinach, olive oil, and 1⁄2 teaspoon salt in a food processor until smooth, stopping as necessary to scrape down the sides of the bowl, about 1 minute. Stir in the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook Like James
Fresh Basil Pesto
Prep
Cook
Yield
Cooks Illustrated suggests pounding the basil to release its flavorful oils into the pesto more readily. I like to add some fresh Italian parsley and some baby spinach leaves to keep the pesto from darkening. Pesto can be kept in an airtight container, cove…
Ingredients
Fresh Pesto
¼ cup pine nuts , toasted (or substitute almonds or walnuts)
3 medium cloves garlic , unpeeled
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
½ cup baby spinach leaves
3 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves (optional)
½ cup high quality extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano
Directions
1
Toast the nuts in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until just golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes; set aside. Add the garlic to the empty skillet and toast over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant and the color of the cloves deepens slightly, about 7 minutes. Let the garlic cool slightly, then peel, and chop.
2
Place the basil and parsley in a heavy-duty 1-gallon zipper-lock plastic bag. Pound the bag with the flat side of a meat pounder or rolling pin until all the leaves are bruised.
3
Process the nuts, garlic, bruised basil and parsley, spinach, olive oil, and 1⁄2 teaspoon salt in a food processor until smooth, stopping as necessary to scrape down the sides of the bowl, about 1 minute. Stir in the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste.
