Two classics made from scratch, fresh pasta with basil pesto, are worth the effort. Leftover pesto can be used on pizza, stirred in grains or whisked in vinaigrette.
I can’t take credit for the lush green foliage that now dominates our back deck.
It is an absolute dream for someone like me who never thought it was possible to live in a home with a green thumb present.
My husband is in charge of the growing in our container garden, and I cook the results.
It is another example of how we are such good partners. I am grateful for that.
Of course, I know I shouldn’t speak too soon, but it looks like we’re going to have quite a harvest of tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and herbs.
This should make up for Mother Nature’s relentless heat last year that left us a bit burned and disappointed with the final yield.
The weather is cooperating now. Thank goodness.
Even though my husband does the most work on our container garden, I pitch in to harvest.
Whenever our basil plants seem to be slowing down, I will pinch off enough leaves to make a batch of pesto in hopes of encouraging growth.
Pesto is often considered only a sauce, but I think of it as an all-purpose topping from a sandwich spread to a dressing for grain salads.
When I really want to celebrate my love for this herby, nutty sauce, I will make fresh pasta with basil pesto.
I go through phases of making pasta from scratch. Whenever I do, I am always reminded how satisfying it is to make dough.
You can whip up the ingredients in a food processor or by hand with a fork depending what tools you have in your kitchen.
The ingredients are simple: all-purpose flour, salt, eggs and olive oil.
I
forget how quickly pasta dough comes together.
Some of the time I spend waiting for the dough to rest is made up for in the 2-minute
cooking time.
For the pesto, I puree basil, garlic, walnuts, Parmesan and olive oil in the
food processor.
Pine nuts are the traditional nut for pesto, but walnuts are more readily available and far less expensive.
At our house, fresh pasta with basil pesto is a true team effort. You can’t beat a growing and cooking collaboration.
Two classics made from scratch, fresh pasta with basil pesto, are worth the effort. Leftover pesto can be used on pizza, stirred in grains or whisked in vinaigrette.
Oh this looks just gorgeous!! I hope the weather has been kind to your garden–do keep us updated!