Local Scottsville chef, Christina Williams of West & Taylor brings us a classic recipe with a twist—or three. Her pesto is part recipe, part choose-your-own-adventure, inviting you to experiment with greens, nuts, oils, and flavor boosts until you land on a version that's entirely your own. Whether you're sticking with tradition or veering into red or white pesto territory, this quick, bold sauce is a fresh way to bring summer flavor to the table in 20 minutes or less.
Pesto Classic & Mix/Match
Pesto is a classic. Make it the traditional way or make your own twist by using the guidelines below. Or really go wild and make a Red Pesto and a White Pesto. Red pesto is made with sun dried tomatoes and red peppers, while White pesto is made with toasted walnuts, ricotta and parmesan cheeses and garlic!
Total Time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients
Pesto
3-4 cups packed greens, Mix and Match for a nice twist
Basil (Classic)
Spinach
Kale (stems removed)
Arugula (for a peppery kick)
Parsley
Cilantro
Sage
Carrot Tops
½ cup Grated Parmesan (or Nutritional Yeast-for vegan)
¼ cup toasted nuts or seeds (mix and match!)-Feel free to leave out if a nut allergy is to worry about but I suggest adding some Nutritional Yeast if you leave out the nuts so you have a slight nuttiness to the end product.
Pine Nuts (Classic)
Walnuts
Pumpkin Seeds
Pistachios
½ cup (plus more) oil
Extra Virgin (Classic)
Flavor infused
1 TBLS Flavor Boost (I use two!)
Lemon Juice (Classic)
Roasted Garlic (for a sweeter undertone)
Raw Garlic (slightly peppery, almost spicy on the back end)
Shallots
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Preparation
You’ll need a good blender, food processor or if you’re feeling like a work-out, a mortar & pestle for this recipe.
Choose your ingredients, (Below you’ll see what I normally choose.) and pop them all in the blender/processor and blend. You may need more oil or lemon juice if your mix is more of a paste than you are looking for, this is a personal preference and can be determined by what you plan to do with the pesto once making it.
My pesto is basil, spinach, arugula, pistachios, parmesan cheese, roasted garlic and lemon juice with salt and pepper.
There are plenty of ways you can serve your pesto;
Combined with pasta water with pasta
Spread on a nice sandwich - you’ll want the pesto to be a bit thicker for this one.
A dip for veggies
Served with sliced mozzarella and tomatoes for a bruschetta
And so many other ways that are absolutely delicious
Let me know what combinations you come up with that your family enjoys!
Variations:
Red Pesto (This is my modified version of the recipe found here)
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