Bryan Roof makes Perfect Pesto from the Recipe Box.
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I’ve been making pesto for years, but have never tried blanching. I have tried this method twice (be really quick about it) and it does make a difference. I can save leftovers in the fridge for use in a caprese sandwich the next day and the pesto is still bright green. Blanching adds time but worth the effort for a more attractive pesto. I haven’t tried freezing the pesto so I don’t know what effects blanching will have. Guess I’ll know when I have to prune my basil plants in another week or so. I’ll probably make enough for 3 -4 batches of pesto and freezing a couple of batches will be necessary.
I'll have to give this method a shot one of these days! I've used Helen Rennie's method twice with great success. There are many ways to make basically the same thing, and variety is the spice of life, you know. I'll never understand why people get puritanical about food.
Not a recipe if you don’t say the amounts… 😼
No parm cheese ?? What!?
I’m very surprised that he blanched the basil in hot water but did not then immediately place the basil leaves into ice water to stop the cooking process and to “SHOCK” the leaves which will set the bright green color. I would think that the process he showed would turn the pesto grayer much quicker. He did however use the pesto right away so preserving the bright green would not be necessary. But then why put the basil in hot water at all. Not criticizing, just wondering…
I'm not a pesto expert but I've never tried blanching the basil before. The trick I found was that it really only needs to be in the hot water for less than a minute otherwise it will turn to something like cooked spinach. Did it enhance the flavor? I think you would actually have to do a side by side taste test at which point you have to determine if the extra step is worth it. Toasting the pine nuts is definitely worth it though. Get some extra pine nuts because they're very easy to burn. I like the idea of adding some pasta water to the mix. It keeps everything moist and prevents the parmesan cheese from going clumpy. All in all it was a delicious recipe and both me and my son loved it.
This recipe works, like almost every recipe from ATK does. 🙂 It isn't the only way to make pesto, but it's tasty and quick. (I will never understand why some of those commenting below feel the need to be rude when expressing a different opinion. Seems to be a sign of the times.)
That Pesto would choke a horse, too much basil!!! … 60% soft parsley 40% basil (the idea of blanching it, is genius) …
Why do you hate pesto so much? What did it do to deserve this?
Once again I read the comments and so many people think they know the BEST and ONLY way to make Pesto. LOL
GATHER YOUR INGREDIENTS
½ cup pine nuts
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 ounces fresh basil leaves and stems
¾ teaspoon table salt, plus salt for blanching basil
1 ¼ ounces Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, peeled
This recipe yields enough to sauce 1 pound of pasta. We prefer the flavor of Italian pine nuts here; the container should indicate where they're grown. Use a good-quality, relatively mild extra-virgin olive oil for the best results. When shopping for basil, look for a 4-ounce plastic container of leaves with stems; after stemming, you should have 4 cups of leaves (3 ounces by weight). If you don't have a scale to measure the Parmesan, the amount of processed Parmesan should be about ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons. This pesto is also good on crostini, in sandwiches, on fish, or stirred into soup.
1
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine pine nuts and 1 tablespoon oil in 8-inch skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until pine nuts are light golden, 3 to 6 minutes. Spread pine nuts out on plate and let cool for 15 minutes.
2
Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts water to boil in medium saucepan. Remove and discard basil stems from leaves (you should have 4 cups leaves [3 ounces by weight]). Add basil leaves and 1½ teaspoons salt to boiling water and cook until basil is wilted and bright green, 5 to 10 seconds. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer basil directly to salad spinner and spin to remove excess water. Spread basil on clean dish towel to dry. (If you don't have a salad spinner, drain basil on clean dish towel and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.)
3
Process Parmesan in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds; transfer to medium bowl. Process garlic, pine nuts, basil, salt, and remaining oil in now-empty processor until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer pesto to bowl with Parmesan and stir to combine. Serve
4
TO MAKE AHEAD: Place pesto in sealable 1-pint container and cover with additional 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
Im gonna need to go plant more basil plants now lmao
I'll never blanch basil for pesto, but back in the day ATK had an even worse crime against pesto when Julia demonstrated a recipe that used mayonnaise as one of the fats. And I adore Julia, but no nope non nein nyet.
I thought he had moved on from ATK.
Everything's fine, but I would prefer to stone grind the mixture rather than using a food processor. That would enhance the flavors of the basil.
Of course you have to salt the blanching water. That way the water can’t be re-used to water your garden or plants. It also requires loads of carbon emissions to make it drinkable again. Once again these knuckle heads came up with the least eco-friendly method to a recipe.
That was the quickest pesto recipe I've ever seen. It looks good and tasty too.
Wow. How easy. I'll try this.
Don't blanch the basil. Also, add butter.
never heard to blanche the basil…and i live 3 km from the Italian border…and if, why not put it in icewater?
Blanch the basil?! No. Been making pesto for years, that is not necessary.
No, no, no. You don't cook basil. Haiyyaaa. Italian version of Uncle Roger, please help.
You realize how much pine nuts are ????
I'm hungry now Thanks nice recipe !!!
Like the recipe — wish he had told us how to store it. Or was this only good if made fresh each time?
Thanks! What I do when I'm making pesto, I reserve some pine nuts & don't process them. I like that little crunch in my pesto. I didn't know I needed to blanche my basil first, so I will try that next time.
Don't add the water as it won't combine with the oil. It will only leave a puddle of water at the bottom of your bowl.
Yum
Thanks for the numerical proportions……oh, beards getting quite grey…
I'm allergic to pine nut. What can I use instead?
Consumption of plant oils (e.g. olive oil, coconut oil, etc.) is a bad idea.
My basil caught Covid and the government had to destroyed all for my own safety.
THIS GUY HERE IS CLUELESS😣😣😤😤ADD WHAT TYPE OF OIL???
Salad spinner? back in my day, we had to dry each leaf by hand!
#kidsthesedays
Easier and faster to have a steaming bowl with a steamer basket of basil, giving a super-bright green to the basill and all open cells and pores for added flavors.
Jeff Dunham puppet Peanut – PESS – TOE !!!!!