I had a really nice lunch this weekend in Old Town Pasadena. Ate at Mi Piace and was inspired by the basil pesto dish that my friend had. Was it because it wasn't mine? Was it because it had jalapeno's and mine didn't? Who knows...all I do know is it was delicious and made me want to make it at home. This home cooked dish came out pretty close. I love the combination of these vegetables, each adding their own sweetness, spiciness & meatiness to the dish. Nice to know I can make it anytime I want without having to go anywhere. But don't get me wrong, I love getting out to restaurants to see what's on the menu and have some good social time with friends and family...always a pleasure.
Basil Walnut Pesto with Mushrooms, Jalapeno's & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Walnut Basil Pesto
- 2 cups basil, packed
- 1/2 cup walnuts or pine nuts
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon
- 3 or 4 garlic cloves
- himalayan salt & pepper to taste (I used white pepper)
- up to 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, optional*
Combine all ingredients in food processor. Scrape sides every so often. May take up to 10 min or so to become creamy and blended. Set aside.
* Although I didn't use the nutritional yeast in my recipe, it's a good healthy option for those seeking to replace the cheese flavor in other pesto recipes. Add slowly until you find the amount you like.
Additional ingredients
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, softened
- 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1-2 jalapeno's, sliced and seeds discarded
- 1 tablesoon extra virgin olive oil
- Pasta of choice
Cook pasta according to package. In saute pan heat oil and saute mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and jalapeno for four to five minutes or until mushrooms are tender. And now it smells delicious! Remove from heat...
Combine pasta, pesto and veggies....serves two.
Enjoy !
No comments:
Post a Comment