I tried to make pesto sauce the other day from a recipe I found in a vegetarian cookbook, but it turned out really bad. It had a really nasty leafy taste to it, and I didn't even put in as much basil as the recipe called for! What went wrong? How do you make perfect pesto pasta sauce?
2007-05-08 05:48:37 · 6 answers · asked by Penguin King 2 in Food & Drink ➔ Cooking & Recipes
Absolutely, FRESH pesto goes with shrimp and pasta. Don't buy jarred pesto, make your own. You can use basil, arugula, spinach, even cilantro to make pesto (choose one, don't mix them), with any kind of nut - pecan, walnut, pine nut, hazelnut, olive oil, garlic, and fresh parmesan. NEVER use the green can, not sure what that is, but it's NOT Parmesano Reggiano which is a must for pesto. Bellisimo! Easiest way to prepare the dish - Boil the pasta you prefer, angel hair, spaghetti, linguini, etc according to box directions. Save 1/2 cup of the pasta water to add to the pasta after you add the pesto if you think it's too dry. Grill or quickly saute the shrimp. When pasta is al dente, put into a large bowl to mix with the pesto. Don't be stingy with the pesto. Then mound nicely on a large serving platter. Lay your shrimp over the top, sprinkle on a little more freshly grated parmesan and then grated lemon peel for a really fresh taste. You could also grind black pepper over the top or just let everyone add that as they prefer. YUM!
2016-05-18 02:24:01 · answer #1 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pesto sauce is basil, grated romano or Parmesan cheese, some garlic ( I sometimes use raw garlic but roasted garlic is good too), olive oil, and toasted pine nuts and some people use walnuts. I have even seen a pesto with a roasted red bell peppers in it. I don't know what ingredients the vegetarian cookbook had you used so I can not tell you what went wrong. I can say that some recipes do not crossover to vegetarian versions well because key ingredients can not be substitute like cheese( I don't know if you are a full vegan or one who eats egg, drinks milk or etc.)
2007-05-08 05:59:40 · answer #2 · answered by calmlikeatimebomb 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is supposed to taste heavily of basil. Make sure you are using extremely fresh basil. You really need to use a food processor and plenty of olive oil for the right texture. Try this recipe. It's modified from one by giada de laurentis.
1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan
Grind it all up in the food processor very finely. Then stream in (while the machine is running) 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (you may need more) until it is the consistency of a thick dip.
2007-05-08 06:00:05 · answer #3 · answered by Kate Y 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you ever had fresh pesto before, or just the stuff that comes in a jar or tub?
Freshly made pesto does have a leafy taste to it - its from the basil that is a leaf that is the main ingredient in pesto! It can be a bit of a switch if you have never tasted it truly fresh before....
2007-05-08 05:58:39 · answer #4 · answered by samantha 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I take several handfuls of fresh basil leaves, add about 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, a clove or 2 of chopped garlic, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and just enough olive oil to make it into a nice consistency when I blend it all together. Simple and delicious! I don't know why your's tasted so leafy...
2007-05-08 05:54:09 · answer #5 · answered by dasottile 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Was the basil still fresh? That's my first thought.
Mine is 2 cups of fresh basil, a big spoonful of minced garlic, a handful of a home-shredded Parm/Asiago/Romano mix, about a quarter cup of toasted pine nuts. Whiz all that up and then drizzle in the olive oil until it looks like you want it.
2007-05-08 05:57:55 · answer #6 · answered by chefgrille 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋