| “Fresh pesto is a pleasure to make. Once you have made it for the first time there is no going back to store-bought, ready-made varieties. The most important thing in this recipe is attaining a critical balance of flavors, color, and texture. With so few ingredients in the recipe, the difference between a good and a great pesto comes down to the quality of the olive oil and vinegar you use. Keep this in mind as you make the recipe, you want to create a very slight crunch married to the softness of the kale and parsley.” – MillPress |
| Servings |
|
Ingredients
- 2 cups Medium EVOO
- 2 tbsp Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic Vinegar
- 3 tbsp Lemon EVOO
- 2 tbsp Roasted Walnut oil
- 1 large bunch kale (Tuscan kale works best) de-stemmed and chopped finely
- 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves removed and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 8 oz parmigiano reggiano plus a good handful extra to balance oil
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients
|
|
Instructions
Option #1: Food Processor
- Place all ingredients - except olive oil - in the bowl of a food processor and pulse them a few times, until broken down. With a gentle whirring of the machine, drizzle in slowly the olive oil so a fine emulsion begins to emerge. Season with a little salt and pepper. Store in a jar for up to 7 days.
Option #2: Mortar & Pestle
- Add salt and garlic to mortar. Grind garlic to a creamy paste.
- Add walnuts to mortar and grind into fine crumbs with the garlic.
- Finely cut the kale and parsley. Add to the mortar. Pound the green leaves until they begin to break down into smaller pieces and blend into a bright green sauce. You might want to do this in portions and add the leaves bit by bit.
- Drizzle in olive oil gently and slowly, mix all ingredients.
- Add Lemon EVOO.
- Add a dash of vinegar, and stir through the Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste. You may want to add another dash of vinegar to balance out the flavors.
Recipe Notes
