Tag: #pastasauce

Pesto for Days…(literally)

On By Leslie Byars RegisterIn Ask Leslie, breads & pastas, mains, The Parties, The Recipes

I am obsessed with basil. Every year I plant way too much. I want to make sure I have enough to make a batch of pesto on any given day of the summer. In fact, I  have plenty to share with my friends too. I leave my kitchen scissors on my back porch steps and give them “cutting rights.” I never tire of it. I love it on pizza, in pasta, with tomatoes—basically on everything!

The best time to cut basil is early in the morning, before or at sunrise. It is less likely to wilt and will keep for several days in water.

When it’s growing faster than I can use it, like it is this summer, I make a big batch of pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays for another day. It’s an easy way to have a homemade sauce when you are short on time.

So let’s get started!

Place these simple ingredients into a medium-size mortar. With a pestle begin to gently massage the basil …JUST KIDDING!!! It does make a pretty picture though, doesn’t it?

What you will really need is a food processor, so get it out now. For this recipe I use a standard-size food processor. When I’m making a quick batch to eat right away, I cut the recipe in half, or sometimes thirds, and use my “mini-chopper” food processor. It makes for a quick and easy cleanup.

Are you happy now? It doesn’t get much easier than this.

Leslie’s Basic Pesto

Makes 12 (1 1/4-inch) square ice cubes or 2 ¼ cups

6 “fists full” of basil leaves (about 6 cups)

3 cloves garlic

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup pine nuts, toasted

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup olive oil

Place all ingredients in the bowl and pulse several times until thoroughly combined and finely chopped, scraping the sides down of the bowl if needed. 

Any ice cube tray will work, but this unique rubber ice tray is from Target, $9.99, target.com

With a small spoon, fill pesto into ice cube tray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place into a freezer ziplock bag. Store in freezer until ready to use.

Note: Once the pesto is frozen, you can remove the cubes from the tray and keep them in the freezer bag. This will free up the tray to make more!

Learn from Leslie: For a quick pasta dish, simply remove a pesto cube (1 per serving of pasta) from the freezer. It will thaw in a few minutes, but if you are in a hurry, microwave for 20 seconds or until it is thawed. Drop into hot pasta and toss. Delicious and easy!

Yields 12 (1 1/4-inch square) ice cubes or 2 1/4 cups

Leslie's Basic Pesto
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Ingredients

  • 6 “fists full” of basil leaves (about 6 cups)
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup olive oil

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in the bowl and pulse several times until thoroughly combined and finely chopped, scraping the sides down of the bowl if needed. 
  2. With a small spoon, fill pesto into ice cube tray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place into a freezer ziplock bag. Store in freezer until ready to use.
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Here’s a weeknight, company-worthy dish to make with some of your homemade pesto. You will only need 1/2 cup to make Chicken and Spinach Pesto Pinwheels. See recipe below.

Chicken and Spinach Pesto Pinwheels

Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Wax paper

½ cup Leslie’s Basic Pesto

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 ½ to 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs

Kitchen twine

Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of wax paper. With a meat pounder, flatten chicken breasts to ½-inch thickness.

Spread 2 tablespoons of pesto evenly on each chicken breast and top with spinach, dividing it evenly.

Toothpicks may be substituted for the twine, but I think the twine makes them hold their shape perfectly.

Beginning at one end of the chicken breasts, roll tightly, and secure with two pieces of kitchen twine.

Dip into eggs, then Panko, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown. Slice into 4 to 5 slices, removing the kitchen twine before serving.

Pictured here with angel hair pasta and Nanny’s Red Sauce from Liquid Gold post.
My favorite summer arrangement!
I still have a few books left in the basement. If you need a gift or two go to Buy the Book on this post, or to my website at lesliespartydiaries.com

Liquid Gold

On By Leslie Byars RegisterIn appetizers, breads & pastas, mains, sides, The Recipes8 Comments

Cooking either runs in the family—or it doesn’t.

Luckily, I was surrounded by good food and talented cooks my entire life on BOTH sides of my family.

I believe even if you think you don’t like to cook, by being exposed to it on a daily basis, it will eventually rub off on you—whether you want it to or not.

For instance, Lily, my 20-year-old, until about a year ago used to sprint through the kitchen to avoid any cooking or dishes. Now, she has turned into a real foodie. She shares her love for cooking and healthy eating in her Instagram account called lilsburydoughgirl. Check out her “Jalapeño Business” coming to you this semester from Barcelona, Spain. It’s quite impressive and—hot!

Lily’s Instagram creations. Follow her on lilsburydoughgirl.

I love it when the first time you try a recipe it works out perfectly. That’s what happened the first time I made Nanny’s Red Sauce, a recipe given to me by my cousin Vicki, and my Aunt Nancy from Columbus, Ohio—both wonderful cooks. Nancy is my dad’s oldest sister–she is 97. She is Nanny to all of her grandchildren.

Recipes are meant to be shared.

Nanny’s Red Sauce

Makes 5 cups

8 cups fresh tomatoes, quartered

1 onion, chopped

½ cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves, smashed

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Salt to taste

Garnish with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine all ingredients except basil and Parmesan cheese. Roast 45 minutes; then pulse in a food processor and salt to taste. Toss with pasta. Garnish with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

Simply toss Nanny’s Red Sauce with any style of pasta. It’s hard to beat plain old spaghetti.

Nanny says, ‘If you can read, you can cook.’

Simply remove the cores and cut the tomatoes into quarters or wedges. There is no need to peel the tomatoes.
It takes about 7 or 8 medium tomatoes to make 8 cups.
After the tomatoes, onions, and garlic have roasted for 45 minutes, ladle them into the bowl of the food processor. Be sure to get all of the juices too.
Pulse until smooth for a creamy, rich texture.

Yields 5-6 Cups

Nanny's Red Sauce
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Ingredients

  • 8 cups fresh tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Combine all ingredients except basil and Parmesan cheese.
  3. Roast 45 minutes; then pulse in a food processor and salt to taste.
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I’ve made this recipe four times in the past few weeks. I’m like a squirrel stocking up for winter. Vicki says it freezes well—and that’s all I needed to hear. While the tomatoes are still at their peak, I thought I would fill the freezer. I may give it as Christmas gifts with a bag of pasta. It would make an easy and delicious Christmas night supper when you realize all the grocery stores are closed.

One recipe makes about 5 to 6 cups. A double batch will make about 3 quarts. It freezes beautifully.

It can also be left a little chunky too—pulse just two or three times. I also tested the recipe with roma tomatoes for the off season. It was delicious too.

For a more chunky-style sauce pulse 2-to-3 times max!

Oh, I forgot to mention, when you roast the tomatoes, onions, and garlic, your house smells like the most amazing Italian restaurant. It’s worth doing it before you are having company—it’s that good.

I wish I could bottle this aroma.

Learn from Leslie: If you double the recipe, use two separate pans to ensure the ingredients and seasonings are equal and accurate. Vicki likes to do a double batch. She leaves one batch chunky and purees the other into a smooth sauce.

This is the recipe that keeps on giving.

Besides tossing it with a variety of pastas, it also makes a wonderful sauce for Chicken-Parmesan. See recipe below.

Individual Chicken-Parmesan is an awesome choice for a small crowd. Dinner knife by Cutco at cutco.com.

Chicken Parmesan

Serves 4

1 ½ pounds chicken tenders

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon water

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups of Nanny’s Red Sauce

8 slices of Muenster cheese, thinly sliced

Between two sheets of wax paper, pound chicken tenders with a meat pounder or rolling pin until ¼ inch thick; set aside.

In a small, shallow dish, beat eggs and water with a fork; set aside. In another small, shallow dish, combine Panko, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter and olive oil at medium-high heat. While skillet is heating to medium-high, dip chicken tender into egg mixture, then into Panko mixture, coating both sides evenly. Place in hot skillet. Repeat with rest of the chicken. Cook 4 to 5 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

The chicken tenders cook quickly in medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet.
Place chicken on top of Nanny’s Red Sauce in an ovenproof dish.
Top with two thin slices of Muenster cheese, and broil 2 to 3 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Garnish with fresh basil. Stainless ovenproof bakers by All-Clad at all-clad.com.

And there’s more! A warm, savory appetizer is always welcome at any dinner party or cocktail hour. Use warm Nanny’s Red Sauce for dipping. These mini-meatballs also can be served over pasta as a main course.

A mini cast-iron skillet is the right size for these mini-meatballs. They are available at lodgemfg.com.

Savory Mini-Meatballs

Makes 38

½ pound pork sausage

½ pound ground chuck

1/2 onion, grated

1 carrot, grated

¼ cup fine breadcrumbs

1 egg, beaten

¼ cup ketchup

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a medium-size bowl. Shape the mini- meatballs with a melon ball scoop. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

A melon ball scooper is the perfect size to form a miniature meatball.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with toothpicks and warmed Nanny’s Red Sauce for dipping.

Learn from Leslie:

If the ground chuck and sausage comes in a 1- pound package, with the remainder make two patties of each and freeze for a quick hamburger night or sausage biscuit breakfast.