pesto

Pesto is a paste typically made with basil, pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil and Parmesan cheese. It can be served over pasta, as a sauce on meats or salads or on pizza. There are infinite variations, including with different greens, such as arugula or cilantro, and different nuts, such as walnuts or almonds.


Pesto originated in Genoa, Italy and the name comes from the verb "pestare," which means to pound or crush. Pesto was traditionally made with a mortar and pestle, although cooks today are more likely to use a food processor. Different regions of Italy put their own spin on pesto by using different ingredients, including tomatoes or grilled peppers. The French version of pesto is called pistou and is served with a vegetable soup, called Soupe au Pistou.


Pesto became trendy in the United States in the 1980's. There's a famous line in the movie When Harry Met Sally, when the character Jess says "pesto is the quiche of the 80's."

Food bloggers have many pesto recipes, including this one for a Sicilian pesto with tomatoes, this recipe for pesto made with garlic scapes, or this restaurant review which mentions pesto mayonnaise.

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Latest blogosphere posts tagged “pesto”

 

• Spaghetti with Pesto recipe

  
  It's me Kenna — Authority: 115
  Spaghetti with Pesto recipe
  1 day ago

• Raw Zucchini Pesto Pasta

  
  Eat. Drink. Better. — Authority: 529
  Looking to get all the flavor and satisfaction from your favorite pasta but with the health benefits of raw food ? Eat all the pasta you want with this raw zucchini pasta! It’s easy, colorful, full of flavor and best of all, mega healthy! Leave the guilt behind and indulge in this yummalicious new way to make an ...
  1 week ago

• Lunch At The Hawthornes.

  
  Kitchens Are Monkey Business — Authority: 421
  Welcome to lunch at the Hawthornes. Im taking a break from making soft pretzels to prepare our lunch. The dough is resting and rising. I must thank Justin and Johanna Lachine, of Cafe Lachine , who conducted our last cooking class at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, for the inspiration for ...
  1 week ago

• Raw Zucchini Pesto Pasta

  
  elephant journal — Authority: 611
  Looking to get all the flavor and satisfaction from your favorite pasta but looking to cut out the calories and starch? Eat all the pasta you want with this raw zucchini pasta! It’s easy, colorful, full of flavor and best of all, mega healthy! Leave the guilt behind and indulge in this yummalicious new way [...]
  1 week ago

• The Art of Pesto With Kinfolk

  
  The Storque — Authority: 119
  Kinfolk Magazine   is a growing community of artists with a shared interest in small gatherings. We recognize that there is something about a table shared by friends — not just a wedding or once-a-year holiday extravaganza — that anchors our relationships. We feel entertaining should be simple, uncomplicated, ...
  1 week ago

• Chill-out at Nostalgie Cafe

  
  What2See : Best of Penang Food! — Authority: 92
  * This article was published in the New Straits Times (Life & Times) on 17th January 2012 Located in the heritage zone of Stewart Lane in George Town, Nostalgie Cafe is housed in a restored two-storey prewar shophouse. This was my first time visiting the place which opened recently. The owner has transformed the ...
  1 week ago

• Goat Cheese Terrine

  
  foodgawker — Authority: 149
  Your friends will beg you to make this Goat Cheese Terrine for every single gathering.
  1 week ago

• Caprese Grilled Cheese

  
  Cooking for my Dad — Authority: 405
  In college, two of my roommates were hospitality majors who had the majority of their classes in West campus. Which happened to be far from everything and pretty inconvenient if we wanted to meet up for a quick lunch between classes. Really, the only thing that made me want to ever go meet them (besides their amazing ...
  1 week ago

• Italian Stuffed Eggplant

  
  The Culinary Chase — Authority: 101
  I cant recall when I first starting eating and cooking eggplant - but its been a very long time - as I remember my Mom using it in different recipes whilst growing up.  There are some debates as to where this purple beauty emerged - was it India or China? Chinese scroll records dating from the 5th century show that ...
  1 week ago

• Chicken & Spinach Pesto Lasagna

  
  Cater-Hater — Authority: 97
  This chicken and spinach pesto lasagna is a recipe that I forgot about.Its one that I fell in love with, years ago, when a catering chef I... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
  1 week ago

• Fusilli con pesto de espárragos

  
  Miguel Pena Roma — Authority: 110
  Una receta para estar “ligeros”, “ Fusilli con pesto de espárragos ”, es rápida y sirve para quedar bien cuando aparecen  huéspedes inesperados y tenéis poco tiempo. Para 4 personas comprar un mazo de espárragos blancos ( 300 gramos ), quitar  la piel exterior con cuidado ayudándonos con un ...
  1 week ago

• Pesto Stuffed Chicken Rolls Recipe

  
  plain cook Recipes — Authority: 141
  INGREDIENTS For Pesto 2cupsfresh basil leaves 1/2cuppine nuts 4clovesgarlic 1cupolive oil, divided 1cup gratedparmesan cheese (optional) salt pepper For Chicken 6boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat 1/4teaspoonsalt 1/4teaspoonfresh ground pepper 3tablespoonsmargarine or butter, softened 1/4cuppesto sauce ...
  2 weeks ago

• {make this} Kale and Walnut Pesto from the Tastespotting Blog

  
  off the (meat)hook — Authority: 99
  If you read this blog often, you will know that I love putting things in the food processor and I also love Tastespotting . So when I saw this super fast and easy recipe on the Tastespotting blog for kale and walnut pesto , I had to try it. I was a little skeptical at first – raw kale instead of basil? ...
  2 weeks ago

• Chicken and Butternut Squash Pesto

  
  chowstalker — Authority: 129
  This pesto is made from almonds. Genius.
  2 weeks ago

• Pressure Cooking: Pasta with Spinach “Pesto” (Casarecce ai Spinaci) by Laura Pazzaglia

  
  Fabulicious Food! — Authority: 105
  This is the third post in a quick series, prompted by a little look at predicted food trends for 2012, starting with a lovely guest post on Pressure Cooking by Laura from Hip Pressure Cooking. Yesterday’s recipe was a Crema Catalana using the bain marie method and today, Laura is sharing her tips on how to make a ...
  2 weeks ago

• Couscous w/ Peas, Pesto & Egg

  
  foodgawker — Authority: 149
  Make it easy for yourself - Couscous With Peas, Pesto and Egg
  2 weeks ago

• Cheap and Dirty Gamer: Abobo’s Big Adventure is a Beefcake Sandwich with a Side of Vengeance Fries

  
  Horrible Night — Authority: 118
  You cant get anymore patriotic than hanging from sexy Ms. Liberty herself The interwebs have been exploding with previews, trailers and all around glee at the arrival of the NES love fest that is Abobo’s Big Adventure . Despite the NES being the system that helped launch my obsession with gaming, the gods ...
  2 weeks ago

• Abobo’s Big Adventure

  
  Gamerfish — Authority: 419
  
  2 weeks ago

• Abobo’s Big Adventure

  
  The Bored Ninja - Fun, Interesting, and Cool Stuff on the Internet — Authority: 430
  
  2 weeks ago

• Liz’s Pesto Lasagna Recipe

  
  plain cook Recipes — Authority: 141
  INGREDIENTS 1cuppesto sauce(I like Classico Creations) 4ounces softenedcream cheese 1cupsour cream 2cups shreddedparmesan cheese 9lasagna noodles(cooked and drained according to package) DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and 1 cup cheese, until smooth and creamy. Spread 1/4 cup ...
  2 weeks ago

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