When most think of pesto, they think of its most common version: the paste that's prepared by grinding fresh, Italian basil, parmesan cheese and pine nuts. But for inventive chefs, the sauce allows them to test their creativity. Blitz a few ingredients in a food processor with olive oil, and as the flavours meld and settle, what you have is a thoroughly adaptable condiment, ready to lend its flavour to a bowl of soup, or a plate of pasta. You can slather it atop fillets of fish for baking, or stuff some pesto inside a meatball for an interesting twist. And that's not all, pesto can be whipped up with a host of ingredients -walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula or moringa leaves. The fun lies in figuring out which combination works best for your taste buds, as the possibilities are endless. For a sharper, bolder pesto, use arugula and walnuts, for red pesto, use sun-dried tomatoes or beetroot.
“Make sure you don't over puree it or else the heat generated during the pulverisation may cause the pesto to lose its green colour,“ says Chirag Makwana, Sous Chef, Toast & Tonic. He offers a quick tip: “Throw in a few ice cubes through the pureeing process to keep the temperature of the pesto down.“
City chefs share their favourite recipes for pesto, a dish that can be prepared beforehand and used as a dip, sandwich spread or sauce
When most think of pesto, they think of its most common version: the paste that's prepared by grinding fresh, Italian basil, parmesan cheese and pine nuts. But for inventive chefs, the sauce allows them to test their creativity. Blitz a few ingredients in a food processor with olive oil, and as the flavours meld and settle, what you have is a thoroughly adaptable condiment, ready to lend its flavour to a bowl of soup, or a plate of pasta. You can slather it atop fillets of fish for baking, or stuff some pesto inside a meatball for an interesting twist. And that's not all, pesto can be whipped up with a host of ingredients -walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula or moringa leaves. The fun lies in figuring out which combination works best for your taste buds, as the possibilities are endless. For a sharper, bolder pesto, use arugula and walnuts, for red pesto, use sun-dried tomatoes or beetroot.
“Make sure you don't over puree it or else the heat generated during the pulverisation may cause the pesto to lose its green colour,“ says Chirag Makwana, Sous Chef, Toast & Tonic. He offers a quick tip: “Throw in a few ice cubes through the pureeing process to keep the temperature of the pesto down.“
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