Simple Supper: Basil Pesto Pasta

I can still remember in the 1980s when basil pesto (pesto alla genovese) became fashionable in Los Angeles where I grew up.  Suddenly, it was on every restaurant menu and bottles of pesto appeared in the pasta aisle in the supermarket.  No one really knew how this mysterious sauce was made, but it seems to involve a lot of hand grinding, so the best course of action was to buy the jar, or even better, the sort-of-freshly-made-plastic-canister in the refrigerated section.  We didn't know any better and it tasted pretty good.  Fast forward to the 1990s and my first trip in Italy. There, in any grocery store, you could find a big bowl of what looked like freshly made pesto. Glistening bright green with flecks of cheese, this looked and tasted amazing.  It tasted reminiscent of the pesto of my childhood but better. A lot better.

Some years later, my best friend was married in Italy and the first course of her wedding supper was basil pesto.  It was served in the traditional way, with green beans and potato mixed in with the pasta.  It was so delicious that I had two helpings, despite that this was just the beginning of a five course meal.

When I finally made pesto myself, I was shocked to realize how

simple it was to make at home, and I find it now hard to understand how anyone could buy the jarred kind.   Perhaps the mystery lies in that you really need to have a food processor or what I like to term a "woozy woo", which is a mini food processor (if you don't have one of these, I suggest you buy one immediately).  If you don't have one of these two items, then indeed, making the sauce by hand in a mortor and pestle could be time consuming...although I bet it really isn't that hard...maybe I will try sometime.  In the meantime, here is how to make one of my family's favorite dishes.  I have substituted tomatoes for the potatoes in the traditional dish, which I think makes for a fresher dish.


Feeds 4 as a main course, 6 to 8 as a side dish

For the pesto sauce

2 bunches basil
50 grams parmesan
75 grams pine nuts
pinch salt
1 to 2 garlic cloves, according to your taste
about 1/3 cup olive oil

For the pasta
150 grams haricot vert
300 grams cherry tomatoes
400 grams spaghetti or other pasta

Garnish
grated parmesan
a sprinkle of pine nuts


Put a big of water to boil.  Don't forget to liberally salt it.

While you are waiting for the water to boil, prepare your pesto.  In

your food processor, put in a pinch of salt, the pine nuts, parmesan,
garlic and basil. Add in about half of the oil.  Pulse to mix.  If the mixture seems dry and is not grinding smoothly, add some more oil.  You want a thick paste that still has some texture.  You can always add more olive oil if necessary.  Taste.  It should be very flavorful. If it tastes a bit flat, then add a pinch more salt or some more parmesan.  If it is too strong, then add a bit more pine nuts to give it a creamier mellow taste.  Remember, though that the flavor will be very diluted by the pasta so it should be strong.  Set aside.

Prepare the green beans by chopping off the tops and tails.  I like to chop mine in half because it makes it easier to eat.  Slice each cherry tomato in half.

When the water is boiling, add in your pasta and cook for the number of minutes it says on the packet.  About 3 to 4 minutes before the pasta is done, put in the green beans.  When the time is up, take a mug or measuring cup and scoop out a cup of the pasta water and set aside.  Drain the pasta and green beans in a colander. Put the pasta and beans back in the pot (or in a big serving bowl) and pour over the pesto sauce.  Using a big pair of tongs, toss the pasta until the pesto evenly coats the pasta.  If it seems a bit dry, add a bit of the pasta water.  Add the tomatoes, and do a last toss.

Serve hot with more grated parmesan and a sprinkle of pine nuts.

The Woozy Woo Transformation

I don't know what other people call it, but I call it my woozy woo and it has changed how I cook. Basically, what you have is a mini food processor, a mobile blender, and a quick whipper. Now, you probably have all these capabilities in other machines if you have a food processor and/or a blender/ and/or mixer. BUT do you ever pull any of these things out, just to make a tiny quantity of sauce? No, you don't. So that is what is so great about this thing. It is small and portable and it just works great. Suddenly, blending herbs, onions, and olive oil is not a big job but a quick little easy job. Chop some nuts to sprinkle on a salad? No problem and no fuss. Last night we had some friends over for dinner; the woozy woo was working overtime. I used it to to make breadcrumbs from fresh bread; I pureed pumpkin; I whipped up two sauces for steak (recipes below); and finally I chopped up nuts and mixed up a crumble to top my apple pie. OK, I realize I sound like an infomercial here but I really do love this gadget. Really.

I have had two. This particular product shown in the picture is more like the first one I got. Works great. The one I have now is a bit more involved because it has two separate little mini food processors...a bigger one and smaller one. Also, the blender thing is metal. Amazon doesn't appear to be selling the one I have now. But, I think probably the first one I had was a tad bit better, because the small food processor is sometimes, well, a bit too small, while the big one is too big.

Tom's Anchovy and Garlic Paste
This is very garlicy, salty, and strong. It tastes fantastic with steak, which is how it was first served to me at a wonderful dinner with Tom and Elisha. I haven't yet got their recipe but I liked it so much that I tried to recreate it. I think Tom handgrates the garlic, which gives a prettier texture but they don't (yet) have a woozy woo or I am sure they would use it! I think this would taste nice on toast or on buttered pasta.
1 small can anchovies in olive oil
about 1 head garlic
some olive oil
Peel the garlic and open the can of anchovies. Take about 5 cloves of garlic, the can of anchovies and dump into the woozy woo. Pour in a bit of oil to lubricate. Whiz it up and taste. It should be salty and garlicy. If you like more garlic, then go ahead and put in a few more cloves. I used about 3/4 of a head. Whiz until it is a smooth puree, adding a bit of olive oil if necessary. You may need to get out a spoon and push the bits down. Put into a little bowl and serve alongside steak. Since the puree is not such an appealing color, I drizzled a bit of olive oil on top.

Amendment: Tom has since come back to me on this sauce and he advises not adding the olive oil that the anchovies are packed in but just using fresh olive oil. He also suggests chopping half of the anchovies and adding it into the sauce at the end for texture. Finally, some chopped fresh parsley would work well as a garnish so that "it doesn't look so much like regurgitated cat food." He also notes that the original recipe was from Chez Panisse Cafe cookbook, so there is some pedigree here. Still, it will always be Tom's sauce to me!

Argentinean Chimichurri Salsa
We love this sauce which we first had on a pigeon hunt in Argentina. For lunch they would stoke up a fire outside where ever we were shooting and grill huge slabs of meat and sausages, which they would serve with this sauce. No vegetables or starch. Just meat and sauce. I think it would taste great with fish or chicken also. After these huge lunches, they would string up hammocks so we could have a nap. Bliss.
4 fl oz olive oil
2 fl oz red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano (can use fresh)
one big bunch flat leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
1 large clove garlic
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon salt
Combine all ingredients in woozy woo. The heat of the chili does not come out immediately, so don't put more in until you let it sit for a while. This can be made in advance and kept in the frig for a couple of days.