The fresh basil I had was about to become not-so-fresh, so I did what I usually do with such basil- I made pesto. Except, I was out of parmesan (I know- what a horrible thing. It's almost as bad as being out of fresh garlic!) I did have two hard cheeses on hand that would have been suitable- São Jorge and Spanish Manchego. I decided to go with the Manchego.
This pesto was so, SO good with the manchego! I just loved it. A few notes: My fresh basil package was 40 grams, so that's what I used.... I didn't measure it in ounces. Since that was in grams, I measured my Manchego in grams as well. Everthing else, though, is just an estimation. 40 grams of basil is not a large amount, so this recipe doesn't make very much... maybe a cup or so.
Manchego and Basil Pesto
by What a Dish!
40 grams fresh basil, rinsed
1 fresh garlic clove, minced
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
fresh ground pepper, and salt, to taste
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
45 grams Manchego cheese, cut into small cubes
Place the basil and garlic in a food processor. With the processor running, stream in the olive oil until the mixture reaches a good consistency. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice, and nuts, and process again until smooth. Last, add the Manchego cheese and process until mostly smooth. Add more olive oil if needed, at this point.
2 comments:
Oh, that sounds great! What a delightful surprise!
Oh my, ANYTHING with manchego has to be good!
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