Cavatappi with Toasted Hazelnut Pesto

Here's a simple, light way to use fresh basil from the garden. Toasted hazelnuts lend a truly nutty flavor to the pesto, and a fine texture to add depth to this vegetarian meal. This pesto is light on basil but still plenty bold with garlic and Parmesan cheese.

Pesto:

1 rounded cup fresh basil leaves (reserve a small sprig for garnish)

2/3 cup good olive oil

1/3 cup hazelnuts

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 lb Cavatappi (or other favorite) pasta

Set a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Salt the water generously.

Meanwhile toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan over medium heat for a few minutes, shaking the pan almost constantly. Watch the nuts carefully and toast just until you can smell a nutty aroma. Remove nuts from heat and bring back to room temperature.

Cook the pasta until just al dente. While the pasta cooks, place the nuts in a small food processor and pulse a few times to chop. Add the garlic and basil.

Pulse to pulverize basil. Add the olive oil and salt, and process to make a chunky pesto. Adjust olive oil amount and degree of processing to achieve consistency you like. I prefer the nuts to remain recognizable, but prepare to your taste.

Reserve a half cup of pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and turn into a large bowl. Add two thirds of the pesto to the pasta and mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with a sprig of basil and a dash of crushed red pepper flakes if desired.

Serve pasta with remaining pesto on the side, as well as more shredded Parmesan as desired. Serves 4.

Cook's Note: This goes very well with roasted cauliflower.

Comments

Umami Beef Short Ribs Samin Nosrat

This is the penultimate prep for beef short ribs. Based on the superb documentary by Samin Nosrat, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, this is the most umami rib dish you will ever have. Its the combination of red miso and soy sauce that marinates and flavors the beef - give it a long time to work right - that means overnight in the fridge; it's worth the planning ahead. 6 beef short ribs on the bone, about 3-4 lb 1 large sweet yellow onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 1 jalapeño pepper, minced 4 cloves garlic, halved Marinade: 1/4 cup red miso 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup pale dry sherry or Mirin rice wine 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp honey 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt the ribs generously with coarse salt and let rest overnight in the refrigerator in a resealable plastic bag. Whisk together the marinade. Pour into the plastic bag and allow to marinate on the counter for about 2-3 hours, or again overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat...

Rosemary Chimichurri

I am making this fresh aromatic condiment more and more often. It can be used as a topping for grilled meats, fish, and for many other flavoring opportunities. I now keep some in the refrigerator almost at all times. 4 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves large palmful fresh cilantro, leaves and stems 3 cloves garlic 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes juice of 1/2 lime (or lemon), and the zest if you like 1/4 tsp salt fresh ground black pepper to taste 1/4 cup olive oil Pulse the rosemary, cilantro and garlic in a small food processor (You could also use a mortar and pestle.) Tip into a small bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients. Cook’s Note: If you haven’t noticed, I love chimichurri sauce. It’s zesty, and full of aromatics. It goes on so many dishes and is a great ingredient for so many things. Make some and keep it in the fridge for inspiration. I use fresh rosemary and cilantro as my green herbs, but you could use oregano and parsley, which is also popular. Many peo...

'Back-of-the-bag' King Arthur Oatmeal Bread

This is one of the best loaves of bread I have ever made, based on a famous recipe. Friends swear about King Arthur recipes, and now I do too. I only modified King Arthur's recipe slightly, adding the yolk of the egg I used for the eggwash on the crust. Goes great with a big pot of bean soup. And it toasts up so nicely - aroma therapy for the whole house! 3-1/4 to 3-1/2 cups bread flour 1 cup old fashioned oats 2 tsp active dry yeast 2 Tbsp honey 1-1/2 tsp salt 2 Tbsp butter, finely diced 1 egg yolk 1-1/4 cup lukewarm (about 100F) milk 1 egg white plus 1 Tbsp water about 1/4 cup old fashioned oats for topping Mix ingredients to a firm but still tacky dough. You’ll have to adjust the final amount of dough to the humidity of your kitchen and flour - err on the sticky side for a lighter, moister loaf. Knead dough 5 minutes. Roll dough around in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise an hour. ...

Cuisine Eric

Search This Blog