…fresh basil straight out of Christopher’s backyard garden, turned into a pesto for pasta.
That pesto was no traditional pesto, not by a long shot. My kitchen is running out of certain staples right now, and I’m teetering on the edge of overspending on groceries this week, so I decided to make do with what’s already lounging in the cupboard. I buzzed the basil leaves with fantastic olive oil, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and a half cup of frozen peas that I thawed by dropping them into boiling water for a minute or two. Christopher’s basil is incredibly flavorful, almost pungent in its strength, so the peas helped to mellow the basil while adding some bulk and nubbly-creaminess to the pasta sauce.
As you can see above, I tossed the sauce with farfalle pasta (along with another half-cup of peas) and topped it with more cheese. The result was delicious: fresh and summery, yet comforting in its starchy familiarity. Things feel really busy over here this week, so it was nice to spend some time puttering in the kitchen without putting in too much effort. Really, the basil did all the work for me. I just tried to treat it right.
Hope summer is treating you right, wherever you are.
2 comments:
sounds perfect! i need to get better about utilizing everything i already have... i go to the store too easily :/
Ha! I think I'd gladly trade places with you. Between my work schedule and life in a small(ish) town, it's hard for me to go grocery shopping as often as I would like. But frozen peas are a lifesaver--soup, pasta, a quick vegetable side dish. I love peas.
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