Pesto - NaBloPoMo #5

I'm a huge fan of pesto. Nothing compares to the taste of fresh basil pesto in summer, when the basil bushes are huge and pungent, and buzzing with bees.

Classic pesto is a combination of fresh basil leaves, garlic, toasted pine nuts, parmesan cheese and olive oil. A variation using sun-dried tomatoes is also popular, and is a version I also like to make when the tomatoes are at their peak. We enjoy the pesto on fresh pasta, especially homemade fettucine, on homemade pizzas in place of tomato paste, or slathered on lavash bread or pita bread. Mmmmm.

It's the middle of winter here in Australia though, and there's nary a basil leaf in sight in my garden. It doesn't stop me from making pesto though :-)

The basic pesto combination is herbs/ leaves, garlic, nuts, parmesan and olive oil, and there are a huge number of delicious variations using herbs or leaves that are available here in winter: another fantastic reason to be growing your own herbs in your garden or in pots!

Don't restrict yourself to using pine nuts either. As far as I can tell we don't produce pine nuts in Australia (if we do, I've never found any!), so to reduce our food miles (and save money, pine nuts are expensive), I use lightly toasted Aussie-grown almonds, walnuts or cashews. Many seeds are also nice, such as pumpkin seeds. If you are vegan, you can also successfully substitute silken tofu for the cheese.


One of my regular winter pesto recipes is rocket (arugula) and walnut pesto, yum. I also regularly substitute cashews for the walnuts, it is equally delicious, especially if left pretty chunky when processing it. Add a small diced chilli pepper for extra tang ;-)

Parsley pesto is also quite nice, especially when made with toasted walnuts and a dash of fresh-from-the-tree lemon juice and zest. Or what about coriander (cilantro) pesto? Try using coriander and pumpkin seeds with a dash of lime juice, or a mix of coriander and parsley, or an Asian-style "pesto" of coriander and mint with fresh ginger and garlic, lime juice and zest, and a dash of fish sauce and brown sugar.

You don't need to restrict yourself to herbs either. What about kale? Kale is a really under rated vegetable, but it's so healthy; it's Peter Cundall's favourite vegie :-)

Or how about spinach pesto? Just substitute spinach leaves for basil leaves in a basic recipe, and walnuts for pine nuts if you prefer. I am waiting for my spinach seedlings to grow large enough to have a go at this one; I have it in mind to use on a pizza as a base sauce, topped with roasted pumpkin and feta cheese.

They all beat store-bought pasta sauces, hands down, and it only takes a few minutes to make! Quicker than ordering a pizza and waiting for it to arrive ;-)