Thinking About Pesto Sauce...

The past couple of days have been very hot in much of Italy, and though the weather people say it may not last, it's time to think of cooler more refreshing summer dishes. The Ligurians, who are squeezed into a sunny swath between impenetrable mountains and the rocky shores of the Mediterranean, collect wild herbs, -- basil especially -- pine nuts, garlic, and cheese -- now Parmigiano but in the past things that were cheaper -- and grind them in a mortar with olive oil to make a wonderfully creamy sauce that's perfect over pasta, but not only:

• Trenette col Pesto: Trenette are similar to linguine, but a bit thinner -- they look like flattened spaghetti -- and when served with pesto sauce are generally cooked with string beans and potatoes. A perfect match!
• Lasagne col Pesto: Quite nice, quite refreshing, and another summer favorite. Good cool, too.
• Minestrone alla Ligure: Ligurians are known for their love of vegetables. And of pesto sauce, which makes a nice addition to Minestrone.
• Tacchino al Basilico: Turkey and basil work surprisingly well together; the combination is quite refreshing, and if need be you can use chicken too.
• Conchiglie al Pesto Rosso: This is a bit different -- the word pesto derives from the verb pestare, to step on or grind, and therefore applies to any sauce made from ground ingredients. In this case, sun-dried tomatoes and almonds, which will balance each other quite well.

Pesto Not What You Had In Mind? The General Recipe Index