Pesto is Italian sauce. I have been watching many pesto preparations in food network ever since I started watching it. So from this experience, pesto meant a chutney like preparation in which olive oil is used to bring to a required consistency in place of water in our chutneys. I may be totally wrong in this perception, but that is what I have seen on TV. I am always horrified to see the amount of oil that goes into this. What bothers me most about olive oil is, its smell and taste. I am slowly getting used to it, but there is a long way to go :).
The pestos I have seen are usually a bit thinner in consistency than what I am posting here. I did not add any extra olive oil, but since I used sun dried tomatoes that were preserved in olive oil, it still had that taste to it. I made a coarse paste so that I could taste small bits of sun dried tomatoes and also the cheese. It goes well with a freshly baked bread. I think this can also be used as a sauce for some kind of pasta.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
1/2 tea spn chopped garlic
1/2 tea spn chilli flakes
1/4 tea spn dried basil
Salt
1 tea spn grated parmesan cheese
Method:
Grind together sun dried tomatoes, garlic, chilli flakes, basil and salt. Add parmesan cheese and grand a bit.
Serve.ÂÂ
PS: To bring it to more spreadable consistency, add a table spoon or so extra vergin olive oil while grinding.
Serves : 2-3
Preparation time : 5mins
wow shilpa! I made pasta sat and this sauce will go so very well with it…next time gonna try this combo n will let u know
Looks really yummy. Will try it out soon.
shilpa..thats such a great one to have…am sure it taste great..wish I could try this..I got to look for sun dried tomatoes!
Just what I had wished for!! Thanks!!
Shilpa, this sauce looks yummy!
I made a similar pesto to go with some wholewheat spaghetti…tastes gorgeous 🙂
Love the colour and it looks delicious
I’ve never met a pesto I haven’t liked – and this one has such a beautiful colour!
Maybe to thin it you could add some ground nut oil if you don’t like olive oil?
Shilpa: I will have to try this substitution next time. Thanks Kittie
Yay, Shilpa! I love this on bread or tossed with pasta…rice might be nice!
And like Kittie (above) says: try using another oil…sesame would be really nice too. Olives and their oil do have a definite flavour!
Shiitake mushrooms are good sauteed in olive oil… 😀
Shilpa: You mean to say the weired smell of shiitake mushrooms get canceled by weired taste of olive oil?? Btw..I do like olives, infact they are my favorites in any Italian dishes, but olive oil is some other story :(. I have been using Extra virgin olive oil, I will have to try normal olive oil next to see if I can stand the smell.
Very nice. Pestos are my favorite . I have mostly made green ones with spinach or cilantro and basil. Have to try this one …great to combine with grilled veggies and make a nice sandwich. Nice pic and the color of the pesto is too good.
pestos can be very thick. this is my fav peto. i grind in some almonds too to cut the tartness.
Shilpa: Thats a good point Bee. I will try adding almonds next time. Thanks.
Hey Shilpa,
nice looking pesto. Shilpa you can use light olive oil and for creamy texture use pine nuts.
Thanks for sharing….
Lovely recipe
Hello Shilpa,
I have visited your website many times, but leaving a comment for the first time. Your recipes are awesome. Some of them are very close to how my mom makes them, so very special to me. This particular one is so simple and looks yummy, will have to give it a try.
Jyoti
hi
that pesto looks good. we love basil pesto. So I will try this too
vivari
http://www.like2enjoy.blogspot.com
They look perfect..
Shilpa, the flavour of shiitake mushrooms is just as intense when they are sauteed/fried! 😀 I usually use them for stew or soup dishes so the flavour spreads about… 😉
“Extra-virgin” has the strongest flavour; you’re right- it does take some getting used to! I only use it in Mediterranean/Mid-East cooking, so…not too often. 😉
Have you tried the olives stuffed with anchovies yet?
Shilpa: I don’t know when you are joking and when you are serious. So, no, I have not tried olives stuffed with anchovies and I am terrified even at the name of it. Do those anchovies smell bad too??
Hi
Is there an alternative to sun dried tomatoes? What about fresh tomatoes?
Thank you
R
Shilpa: With fresh tomatoes, the taste will be different.