I’m having a pesto moment at my house. Three types of basil and they are all doing great.
I made some last night and enjoyed it spread on french bread pizza post baking with a little of the hot honey. YUM.
I’m going to an afternoon get together on the 3rd that will be snacks/small bites. Looking for a way to use pesto for an easy to travel snack/small bite. Dip, favorite way to use it as a spread, maybe a cold pasta salad??
Made this batch with pistachios as the nut - winning choice!!
I made a cold tortellini salad with pesto. I cook a package of cheese tortellini and throw in some sliced cherry tomatoes, a little red onion, bell peppers, and some of those small balls of mozzarella cheese. A store nearby sells fresh cheese tortellini which just takes a few minutes to cook so it is very quick but I’m sure any tortellini would work just fine.
If I have pesto available I’ll also use it on top of caprese salad.
I am known for my savory pesto cheesecake. My recipe is so old I am not even sure where I got it but there are many out there. This one comes close to what I do.
I do make some adjustments:
I use my food processor to combine everything. I like a very smooth consistency and I’d rather wash the FP than beat everything long enough to get the mix as smooth as I like it.
I don’t separate the cheese mixture into two halves. I just throw the pesto into the FP at the end of mixing eveything. Sometimes I give it a few pulses and other times I make sure it’s well incorporated. It depends on my mood.
I don’t always use pine nuts on it but when I do I sprinkle them on about 1/2-2/3 of the way through cooking.
I always cover with aluminum foil while baking otherwise the top gets too brown.
I’ve never had the cake done in 45 minutes. Maybe it’s my oven but don’t be surprised if it takes longer.
I serve it with crackers, toast points, sliced baguette - whatever I have handy.
To add color I’ll top it with chopped sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, etc and garnish with fresh basil.
It would be fun to use pistachios as a garnish if you used them in your pesto.
ENJOY
Pesto palmiers! A favorite at our house. Pesto + Parmesan Palmier recipe | eat. live. travel. write.
I’ve made that pesto cheesecake! My recipe is old and from Gourmet or Bon Appetit.
Oh my gosh, this is so interesting and sounds amazing!
Are these pretty foolproof? Do they get soggy at all after a day or two? (thinking if I could make them the day before).
I haven’t had a problem with sogginess. The pesto is thin enough to avoid that issue.
As with most Ina Garten recipes, I cut the ‘dressing/sauce’ in half, at least. Her ratios are correct but it just ends up being more dressing than I like.
For home use, grated parmesan on top of pesto-covered bread rounds under broiler just until cheese cooks.
I used to add small dollops of pesto to Caprese Salad.
Not an app, but pesto pizza: pesto as base, and then add shrimp, goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. That was just something I made up more than 20 years ago.
My D makes a lovely chickpea and pesto dip - chickpeas, pesto, red onion, and mayo. She serves it with pita bread or naan. So good!
It is really good.
I HATE baking but this is one of the two things I’ll bake whenever asked or needed. I’ve also changed the flavors by switching out the pesto for a thick salsa or fig preserves for example because I can’t leave well enough alone (one reason why I don’t bake)
Tomato and Pesto Tart.
Slice some ripe tomatoes (beefsteaks are good, so are heirlooms if you can find them) about 1/2 inch thick. Place on several layers of paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Let rest about 15 minutes.
Unroll a thawed puff pastry sheet, score deeply, but not all the way thru about 3/4 inch from the edges. Spread pesto central part of pastry sheet. Place a single layer of tomato slices over the pesto, and sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese.
Bake at 450 degrees until puff pastry is golden.
Serve at room temperature.
You can replace the tomatoes with any other kind of veggie you like. I’ve used asparagus, eggplant and thinly sliced zucchini. Alone or or in combinations.
Toasted sourdough
Pesto
Herbed cream cheese (whipped) or borsin
Sautéed mushrooms (I like baby portabellos) w/
garlic & olive oil
Lay the toast on a cookie sheet (single layer)
Smear pesto on the toasted sourdough
A good smear of herbed cream cheese (or borsin)
Pour the cooked mushrooms over it all
Pop it in the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes.
Eat!
These all sound amazing! Some I’ll try at home and after I talk to the host tomorrow to see what is needed, hope to choose something that I can transport 2 hours away!
This is a Costco-based appetizer. Get crackers, put a piece of smoked salmon on it, top with pesto. All 3 are sold at Costco. Colorful and tasty!
Another inspired dinner courtesy of CC! I just trimmed my basil bush and made a batch of pesto, using cashews as I did not have pine nuts. Tonights dinner? We are having pan seared hake with a cashew basil drizzle!
Pine nuts are so good, don’t get me wrong…but I really find other nuts to work just fine! It’s hard to pay for that bag of pricey pine nuts…
Layer pesto and cream cheese in a saran-wrap lined loaf pan. Make as many layers as you want (I usually slice the cream cheese on the flat side with a cheese slicer). Chill, turn out onto a plate and top with roasted red peppers…serve with crackers or whatever you like.
Yummmm and easy.
I’ve made this around Christmas time because it’s really festive-looking!
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