Basil Pesto

Well, I was trying to decide what I should write about...again.... it's not because I haven't made anything, nor is it because I have any shortage of recipes, but I do try to think of things that are seasonal, and people are possibly cooking right now. I made a roasted chicken last night for dinner, that I think I will share soon. It is very good, and fairly easy. You will have most items on hand and you can throw it in the oven and just fill the house with delicious scents, throw together a salad, maybe some dessert and everything comes to the table in a snap.
I made these absolutely amazing  apple pie cookies on Tuesday. I mean they are really good. Flaky, filled with warm apple goodness, bite-sized, and perfect for...well...just about anything. We had tacos, lasagna, and bbq chicken. We also had pesto.
I really, really like pesto, and so does my family. I love making creamy pesto, with some butter, half and half, and chicken stock. It is so flavorful and fresh tasting! The other thing I love about it is it is so easy to make, freezes well, and I can just pull a container out for an impromptu dinner. Like I did on Wednesday. I got back to the house later than I had anticipated. I had forgotten to thaw some chicken. I was running behind. So, I pulled out some frozen cheese tortellini and some pesto, threw together a salad, and voila!
I urge you to make homemade pesto. Everything tastes better, fresher, and healthier when you make it at home. You would probably be surprised at how vibrantly green pesto is when it is first made. And how absolutely amazing it is.

The other great thing about it is, if you ever feel like you want to stray from the traditional basil pesto, you can switch out the nuts (or omit them) change herbs to parsley for a mild flavor, or cilantro for a clean taste, and make a new, different pesto to drizzle on freshly roasted vegetables, pastas, fresh salads, or cheese and crackers.

Basil Pesto
adapted from Bride and Groom Cookbook
1/2 cup pine nuts
4 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup grated parmasan

Combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food proecessor fitted with a steel blade and process until the ingredients are well incorporated, about 15 seconds. Shut off the motor and scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the motor running, slowly add the 1/2 cup olive oil through the feed tube. Shut off the motor and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the cheese and pulse until the mixture comes together and sooks like a thick paste. Use immediately or transfer to a container, drizzle with a thin layer of olive oil, cover tightly, and refrigerate.

The herbal base of this pesto, minus the cheese, can be frozen. Add the cheese after defrosting the pesto and stir well to combine.

Men are from Mars and women are...like spaghetti?

I love spaghetti. I know, you probably think I love every food, but I really love spaghetti. Spaghetti with meatballs. There is just something so fun about it. Maybe, it is because I liked watching Lady and the Tramp when I was a little girl, and that famous scene when they fall in love happens at a little Italian place around a big plate of Spaghetti and meatballs.
Maybe its because that was a family dinner I remembered and enjoyed. I think it was one of my dad's favorite meals, and I have to say I liked it, too.
When I first got married, my husband preferred Prego over any spaghetti sauce. I made homemade sauce, and he still hinted that he like Prego better. Not roasted garlic or four cheese, just plain, old, Classic Prego sauce. I kind of left it alone. I would make meat sauce or whatever, and sometimes I added things to the sauce, like onions and garlic, or sun dried tomatoes, or olives, but there just wasn't any oomph. I wanted to 'maka spaghetti lika the Italians'. I wanted sauce that made me kiss my fingers and say, "Momma-mia!" It just wasn't working out for me.

Then, there was a special in Saveur magazine. I really love that magazine. I had never heard of it until my husband bought me a subscription. It isn't an over commercialized, celebrity-chef oriented magazine. It has recipes from cultures all over the world, and articles and essays about food, its origins, eating, and travel. I like it a lot. I have found so many recipes in there that I have used over and over again.
Anyway, back to spaghetti. So, there was this recipe from a famous restaurant in New York (I think) and I decided to try it. We all loved it. I sometimes make the whole recipe, or if I don't have time for the meatballs I just make a meat sauce, but follow the same principles. I really love saucing the noodles ahead of time. It definitely makes a difference no matter what spaghetti sauce you use. And if you make this up, taste it and if its too bitter just add a hit of sugar. Not too much, though. And, of course, this isn't exactly how the recipe goes, and feel free to add what your family loves.
For the sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon salt
2 24 oz cans tomato sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup basil, chopped

In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft. Add the tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese, and salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for 20 minutes. Just before adding the meatballs, add the basil.

For the meatballs:

1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage (homemade if you have it)
1 cup Parmesan Italian panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup basil, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil

optional: 2 sticks mozzarella string cheese, each cut into six pieces.

Combine all ingredients, except for sliced garlic, mozzarella cheese (if using) and olive oil, in a large bowl. Gently stir with a spoon. Pat meat into 12 large balls, placing mozzarella pieces in the center (if using). Pour olive oil into a large pan and add sliced garlic. Saute over medium-high heat until garlic begins to brown. Add meatballs. Saute first side for about 4 minutes, then rotate as though the meatball has six sides. Cook each side for 2-3 minutes before rotating.
When meatballs are done, place into simmering sauce.

For the spaghetti:
1 lb dried spaghetti noodles, broken in half
4 quarts salted water
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Cook spaghetti  in salted water according to package directions, draining as soon as it is al dente. Return to pan and turn heat on low. Add two or three ladles of the pasta sauce, tossing to coat. Add parsley. Serve with more sauce and meatballs.