Pesto Recipe: Fresh Spring Onion Pesto

Pesto Recipe

 

Pesto has got to be my favorite pasta sauce. There are so many varieties of Pesto it can boggle the mind! You can make Pesto out of just about anything and you can put Pesto on just about anything you want and it will make any dish more flavorful!

Pesto recipe history is not exact. Many pasta historians believe that Pesto sauce originated in Genoa, Italy in a region that is called Liguria which is Northern Italy where my old boss Mr. Mele' came from. The Pesto from that region is called "Pesto Genovese. It is your basic Pesto recipe that most of us are familiar with. Crushed garlic, basil, pine nuts all blended with olive oil and parmigiano reggiano cheese or pecorino romano cheese. Today we make Pesto in a blender or food processor but, in the old days this delicious sauce was made in a mortar and pestle. I would imagine the cooks of the day had very strong arms!

In Rome during ancient times Pestos earliest version was called Moretum and it was made in a mortar and pestle of the simple ingredients of cheese, garlic and selected herbs. Later in history the Genoans(Ligurians) would add the herb basil, pine nuts and olive oil to the garlic, cheese and other herbs to make the original Pesto Genovese!

The word Pesto is the modern word adaptation of the Italian word Pestare which means to pound. Therefore the modern word Pesto is the generic term given for anything that is made by pounding as you would with ingredients in a mortar and pestle. There are many kinds of Pesto recipes out there and some of them are the true Italian classic Pesto recipe and some are the more modern fusion style types used in fine dining and gourmet home cooking but, the most common Pesto recipe in Italian cooking is called "Pesto alla Genovese" or "Pesto Genovese." (olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, basil and cheese)

The traditional Pesto sauces use pine nuts but, I make Pesto sauces with just about any type of nut I can think of because I am just plain nuts! I love to use almonds, walnuts, pistachios and macadamia nuts in my many Pesto sauces. Most people think that Pesto is just an Italian sauce but in reality there are Sicilian versions of the original Pesto recipe as well. One such sauce is called "Pesto alla Siciliana or "Pesto Rosso" or Red Pesto! This Sicilian Pesto recipe is made with the addition of tomato and using almonds instead of the classic pine nut and this pesto recipe also used less basil then the Italian Pesto recipe calls for. Then there is a Pesto recipe from the Calabrese region of Italy called Calabria in which the Pesto recipe is made with grilled bell peppers, black pepper, basil and choice of nuts and garlic. This Pesto recipe is known to be quite spicy and can like other Pesto recipes be made in a variety of ways and styles to meet the needs of today's chefs and gourmet home cooks.


For this reason in this blog post I am doing a video on a favorite spring time Pesto recipe that I like to make and that is fresh spring onion pesto. This Pesto is made with olive oil, basil, pistachio nuts salt, pepper, garlic and of course spring onions and cheese. I made this Pesto recipe for my Youtube channel just before leaving town on vacation and now that I am back I am putting it to this blog post. This Pesto recipe is packed with flavor and can like with all Pesto recipes be made in a wide variety of styles to suit the person making it. I know that if you try this Pesto recipe you will love it!

Enjoy!



Ingredients:

1 Cup olive oil.
1 Bunch spring onions(scallions).
4 Garlic cloves or more to taste.
1/2 Cup Pistachios.
1/4 Cup fresh basil leaves.
3 oz any type Italian cheese: Pecorino Romano, Parmesano/Reggiano, Asiago etc.
1 Tsp. sugar.
A pinch of oregano
Salt and pepper to taste.
Red pepper flakes to taste are optional.

Method:

1. In a food processor puree the spring onions/scallions to a desired consistency. No oil is needed in this step as there is enough water in the onions to allow the pureeing to take place. Start by pulsing the onions down to manageable texture then add some olive oil about 1/4 cup and go to blend.

2. After you have desired consistency add your garlic and pulse a few times then go to blend.
3. Now add your fresh basil leaves and add some olive oil 2 to 4 ounces and pulse them down then go to blend.
4. After all these ingredients are blended add the remaining olive oil and pulse then go to blend.
5. Now add your pistachio nuts and pulse and then go to blend. You want this pesto to be on the thick side and the nuts should be on the chunky side and the pesto a bit on the rustic end of things. (see video)

6. Add salt and pepper to taste and pulse that in. I put the salt and pepper in the pesto after it was out of the processor. The choice is yours.

7. Now add your cheese and pulse it into the pests. I put the cheese in after the pesto came out of the processor. The choice is yours.

8. Now add your oregano and pulse it into the pesto. I put the oregano into the pesto after it was out of the processor. The choice is yours.

9. When it comes time to cook something with this pesto I add some sugar to the amount of pesto I am going to use to cut any bitterness from the spring onions. This is an optional step. (see video) Some people might enjoy the slight bitter cut of the onions in this dish.

10. Eat and enjoy!