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 In this article, we'll turn your attention to pesto. How should it be eaten? With pasta, of course. What else could you eat it with?
“Every man kills what he loves,” wrote Oscar Wilde in 1897. Chances are, Oscar didn't think about pesto or pasta sauces at all. According to Wilde in The Ballad of Reading Gaol, during the Victorian era, pasta was not an affordable product for inmates in prisons. Previously, the sauce was not as widely used as it is today. If Wilde were to take a stroll through the supermarkets today, he would probably agree with the blog "As It Is", which talks about the best way to consume your favorite British dishes.
Today we are passionate about processed protein flavored foods and prefer to use them anywhere and everywhere. And this is a big mistake. British public organization Consensus Action on Salt and Health warns that pesto may contain more salt than sea water or peanuts (a fact that will occur with excessive pesto consumption) ...
Let's try to figure out what pesto is.
Pesto sauce
Start a conversation about pesto and your conversation won't last long until an expert in Italian cuisine tells you that the name “pesto” comes from the word “pestare”, which means “to press” in Italian. There are no specific ingredients for making pesto. Any combination of different foods is pesto. But this is where the confusion lies.
Genoese pesto (pesto alla genovese), which most of us know as a classic pesto, includes three unchanged ingredients: garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese or Pecorino cheese. If you exclude pine nuts and cheese, then this is already the pesto of French cuisine. Particularly noteworthy is the pesto, complemented by anchovies, cabbage, mint, chili, fried red pepper. These additives will undoubtedly spice up the pesto, which is made from six main Ligurian ingredients: basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, pine nuts, cheese. Primarily, pesto is an aromatic basil sauce.
Pesto as an ingredient
Pesto sauce is an indispensable condiment for many dishes, but it is especially delicious with pasta. We will briefly discuss the broader uses of pesto sauce, which is added to numerous foods.
Pesto is used for dressing potato and pasta dishes. It has a long, noble history. Pesto adds extra flavor to various Italian bean and tomato soups and vegetable stews. A well-known vegetable soup with pesto sauce. This is a wonderful seasoning for white fish dishes (cod, sea bass). Pesto is the main ingredient in gourmet Danish baked goods. Cheese curls, fried vegetables and pesto give off a unique flavor and aroma.
The classic ciabatta chicken sandwich was very popular in café-bars of the 90s of the XX century. But without the addition of Mozzarella cheese and pesto, such a sandwich would be pretty dry. It's hard to imagine pizza without pesto. Depending on your taste, pesto can be used with a variety of dishes, from baked tuna to shrimp linguine.
All combinations have some specific logic (it's all Italian, right?). There are many uses for pesto: with pasta or slices of toast bread, with hummus, or flavorful puree served with sausage or meatballs. All these dishes have been known since ancient times. Pesto is not, as it is sometimes called, "middle class ketchup."You can't just jot a famous set of ingredients into it and wait for something out of the ordinary.
Correct paste
Freshly cooked, soft, rich pasta is not suitable for pesto. They have a different purpose. Pesto requires dried pasta. When consumed, there is an inner firmness that is the exact opposite of the oily fat content of pesto.
Trophy pasta, trophyette, spaghetti, and flat linguine are all traditionally recommended for pesto, but tubular tortilloni (large, flat penne) that have grooved nibbles on the rough surface of the texture are preferred. This creates a large area for the pesto. As a result, we have an exquisite taste and aroma of pasta.
Pesto can be made using the most common toppings: spinach and ricotta cheese, mushrooms, pumpkin and sage. There is a huge selection for every taste.
Note: Most recipes recommend adding some pasta water to marry the pesto with the pasta. The result is a smooth, creamy texture. In fact, a rather unpleasant film appears. Better to discard the pasta in a colander and add the pesto as soon as the water drains.
Cheese
It's no secret that many dishes are tastier when added to cheese. But which cheese to choose? Parmesan is the best cheese for making pesto with pasta. It is the main ingredient in pesto. However, despite its widespread use, it is often of poor quality. Parmesan does not always melt easily on pasta and can form a thick layer.
Then it is better to add a modest handful of coarsely grated spicy Cheddar cheese or processed cheese to the pasta. You can also use Lincolnshire Hard Cheese. If you add cheese to warm pasta, it won't melt. Remember that the top cheese layer should be thin and well defined. Then you can dive into the wonderful world of pesto.
Additional ingredients
We have nothing against the classic dishes of beans, peas and potatoes that go well with green, vibrant pesto. Sour tomatoes, pickled olives, fried onions, mushrooms, leeks, broccoli, spinach and more will add a special flavor and aroma to your pesto.
Tableware
The pasta will look sloppy on a plate. We recommend using a deep bowl to make the pasta look pretty attractive. Have a napkin on hand just in case. Fork. Spoon (if necessary).
The drinks
Dry red or white wines with good acidity (Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino, Verdicchio) are ideally combined with such a wonderful dish as pesto.
How do you use pesto?
N.V. Naumchik
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