Pesto

I found vegetarian parmesan cheese at Trader Joe's (score!) and decided to use it in my old favorite pesto recipe.  In case you're wondering what I mean by vegetarian parmesan cheese, this particular brand does not contain animal rennet, an ingredient sometimes concealed with the vague term, "enzymes."  Explicitly vegetarian cheeses are actually tough to find at the grocery store, but apparently Trader Joe's has a few varieties. And now I had my first bag of vegetarian parmesan cheese all ready to become pesto!

I was excited to learn that many people are now blanching pesto herbs to prevent them from oxidizing and turning brown.  This extra step doubles the work and dirty dishes, but it makes all the difference!  Obviously the pesto looks better and fresher than oxidized pesto, but it also seems to taste better.  What's more, you don't have to protect it from the air by pushing plastic wrap against its surface or adding extra olive oil over the top.

I think everyone has their own ideas on what the ideal pesto should taste like.  This recipe is definitely a personal favorite of mine, and ranks among the best pestos I've tasted.

Blanched Pesto
(Adapted from "Pasta With Fresh Pesto Sauce" in American Home Cooking by Frances Cleary)

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup vegetarian parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 garlic cloves, peeled
4 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt

Directions:

1.  Remove stems from the herbs and rinse them in a mesh colander.
2.  Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
3.  Submerge the colander full of herbs into the boiling water for 15 seconds.  It helps to use a heat safe spatula to keep the herbs under control.  Then immediately rinse under cold running water until fully cooled throughout.  The herbs will be bright green and the basil will start to curl up a bit.
4.  Set colander full of herbs to dry or pat dry with paper towel.
5.  In a food processor, combine basil, parsley, parmesan, pine nuts, and garlic.  Process until finely chopped.
6.  Add the butter and mix well.
7.  With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil.
8.  Add sea salt to taste.  (I used about a quarter teaspoon.)
9.  If you don't plan to use your pesto within a few days freeze it in an ice cube tray.

 1 batch yields about 3/4 cups pesto.

Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1.5 tablespoons Servings per batch: 10 2/3
Calories	117
Fat	12g
Cholesterol	16mg
Sodium	228mg
Carbohydrate	1g
Sugars	0g
Protein	2g