Pesto with Pecorino Romano and Dairy-Free Pesto

       

Dairy-free pesto on rice spaghetti

     Pesto is great stuff to have ready in the fridge: you can quickly boil up some rice pasta and call it a meal (or use pesto on pizza--see Five-Minute Hypoallergenic Pizza). An allergy to cow’s milk may not be a reason to forgo pesto.  Pecorino Romano cheese, which is made from sheep’s milk, is an excellent substitute for the Parmesan that is usually used (See Cheese in the Glossary). If you are also allergic to sheep’s milk, try the dairy-free pesto in the next recipe.

     Freshly made pesto is a beautiful green sauce. Unfortunately, any pesto that is not eaten immediately starts to turn brown. There are a couple of ways to combat this. One is simply to add a half tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the recipe.  This drastically slows the browning but does not altogether prevent it. 

     The other way to combat browning is to blanch the basil leaves.  This does prevent browning altogether, but you do lose a bit of the flavor of the fresh, raw leaves.  To blanch basil leaves bring a potful of water to boiling and prepare a large bowl of cold water.  Put the basil leaves in a sieve that can fit down into either the pot of boiling water or the bowl of cold water. Immerse the basil in the boiling water, wait for 10 seconds, then immediately immerse the basil in the cold water and let it cool off. Dry the basil and proceed with the recipe.

Pesto with Pecorino Romano

     leaves from 4 oz. of basil, about 2 cups gently packed (See Produce in

          the Glossary)

     4 cloves garlic

     1/2 cup pine nuts (See Pine Nuts in the Glossary)

     3/4 c. olive oil  (See Oil in the Glossary)

     6 oz. grated Pecorino Romano (See Cheese in the Glossary)

     salt and black pepper to taste (See Salt and Spices in the Glossary)

     Put all the ingredients into a food-processor and process until thoroughly chopped and mixed.  Purists may insist on thorough chopping with a knife instead. I agree that pesto should have some texture; don't make it in a blender.

Dairy-Free Pesto

Dairy-free pesto

     See the instructions for Pesto with Pecorino Romano, above.

     leaves from 4 oz. of basil, about 2 cups gently packed (See Produce in

          the Glossary)

     4 cloves garlic

     1 cup pine nuts (See Pine Nuts in the Glossary)

     1/2 c. olive oil (See Oil in the Glossary)

     salt and black pepper to taste (See Salt and Spices in the Glossary)