Presto! Pesto for Pasta and Salads: Cook Once, Eat Twice

No Comments | Written on July 31, 2012 at 5:00 pm, by Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine

Pesto is a versatile summertime staple that’s easy to do up in a big batch before adding to pastas, marinades, dressings, and sandwiches to ratchet up the flavor. And, to really personalize your pesto, it’s easy to mix and match all kinds of herbs and nuts with the core ingredient: basil. This week, I’m harvesting lots of basil from the garden for a traditional pesto Genovese. Aside from the basil, you only need a few other simple things: pine nuts, olive oil, Parmesan, and garlic.

So prepare a double batch of pesto and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to make these two recipes.

Day One (main course): Add your pre-made pesto to this simple, delicious Ligurian-style pasta. I also like to throw in any pre-cooked summer veggies I have on hand to make cooking even easier. This recipe calls for string beans and new potatoes, but it’s also delicious with any combination of corn, broccoli, or fresh tomatoes.

Day Two (side dish): Caprese salad usually calls for basil leaves tossed right on top of the tomatoes and mozzarella, but using pesto instead elevates this summer staple to a fancier level. I use lemon instead of lime sometimes in this recipe, but it just depends on what’s in my pantry; either is fine.