UNICO

… continued from page 71 …
72
LINGUINE CON
PESTO ALLA GENOVESE
(Linguine with Pesto Sauce)
For the condimento:
2 cups fresh basil
1/4 to 1/3 cup good olive oil
1/2 cup pignoli
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
3 cloves garlic
Pinch of salt (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
Put the above ingredients in a
blender or food processor and process
until smooth. Start with 1/4 cup olive oil
and add additional oil in a thin stream if
necessary for a smooth sauce. Set aside
while the pasta cooks.
To finish the dish:
Linguine cooked al dente
Additional olive oil
Additional sliced garlic
A handful of pignoli
While the linguine is cooking, cover
the bottom of a very large skillet with a
coating of olive oil and place over
medium heat. Add enough sliced garlic
to suit your taste along with the pignoli
and sauté them in the olive oil. Just before
you drain the linguine, add the
pesto sauce to the skillet containing the
garlic and pignoli and heat it through.
Drain the pasta, saving a little of the
pasta water. Add the drained pasta to the
skillet and toss very well, continuing to
warm over medium heat. You may want
to add a small amount of the reserved
pasta water to help the sauce cling to the
pasta. When thoroughly combined, serve
hot with additional Romano cheese to
taste.
NOTE: This pesto recipe is enough
for up to 2-1/2 pounds pasta. The sauce is
also an excellent marinade for chicken. It
can be served over salmon or as an appetizer
spread with crostini. You can mix a
little pesto into softened
butter to use on cooked vegetables.
Whisk some into
your vinaigrette for tossed
salads.
— Dina Giordano
MINESTRONE
ALLA GENOVESE
(Vegetable Soup from Genoa)
1/4 pound pancetta
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 carrots peeled and sliced
1/4 head cabbage, shredded
1 stalk celery, diced
1 leek, washed and sliced
2 cups cooked cannellini beans
1/4 pound cut green beans
1 large fresh tomato, cut up
1 large potato, peeled and diced
Beef broth
Salt and pepper
Zucchini (optional)
Pesto (see above)
Grated Cheese
1/4 pound cooked tubetti (optional)
Chop the pancetta,
parsley and garlic together
and cook in a large
stock pot. In the rendered
fat, sauté the vegetables to
a golden color. Add about
4 pints of water or beef
stock and season with salt
and pepper. Cook slowly
until all of the vegetables are
tender and the soup thickens
a little. If using zucchini, add
it during the last 10 minutes
so it doesn’t get overcooked.
Stir in about 3 tablespoons of
pesto and some grated cheese.
Adding some small pasta will
September 2015
make a more substantial soup. Serve with
plenty of grated cheese.
Variations: You may omit the cabbage
and add a bunch of chopped Swiss
chard or spinach with the tough stems removed.
For a meatless meal, use olive oil
instead of pancetta and water instead of
beef broth.
— adapted from Mary Parisi
FRA NOI for ComUNICO