Pesto, pesto, pesto

 There are some positives that emerged out of this pandemic, my healthy herb garden for instance. Basil in abundance, mint overgrowing the planter and coriander sprouting. With this blessing and excessive basil leaves, making pesto is an obvious choice.

Quite simple really. Soaked my basil to make sure that it is clean and air dry it. Pick the leaves and packed it into the blender. Then add about a cup of pine nuts, which is often recommended in most recipes. I didn't have pine nuts but found some sunflower seed in my fridge, which I toasted on a pan and used that instead.

Add a cup of extra virgin olive oil and half a teaspoon of salt. Most recipes will ask you to drizzle the olive oil into the blender while it is blending but I just added it in directly before starting the blender. Pesto can be stored in a container and kept in the fridge for up to a week.

It's great with pasta. Here's my recipe for a simple minced pork okra pesto spaghetti which I cooked for dinner today.

Ingredients:

Recipe is meant for 2

Half an onion chopped

150g minced pork

2 tablespoon of pesto

2 okra sliced thinly (you can replace okra with other vegetable)

Spaghetti or any preferred pasta

Boil water in a pan and add half a teaspoon of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Once water boils, add your pasta and cook it as per the recommendation. Yes, you don't have to taste the pasta to check if it is al dente or throw it at the wall to see if it sticks. The recommended time per the packaging works most of the time.

While waiting for the pasta to cook, sauté the onion in olive oil in another pot or pan. Add the minced pork and break it into small chunks. Once the pork is cooked thoroughly, toss in the okra and cook till it is soft. Season with salt and pepper. Then, add the pesto and stir, making sure that it is evenly spread. Transfer the pasta over once it is ready. No need to drip dry. Some pasta water is fine. Turn off the stove, add some grated parmesan cheese and use a spaghetti server to ensure that the pasta is thoroughly coated with the pesto sauce.

The pasta was delicious and the pesto was not to overpowering. The okra added some crunch. Try it and let me have your comments. Enjoy.

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