Mint pesto is a very delicate and fresh sauce, perfect with boiled fish, grilled meat or poultry. It harmoniously sets off juicy "earthy" lamb, is combined with pasta with early vegetables, is part of some soups, in Italy it is put on pizza and simply spread on sandwiches, while the sweet version of this sauce is a soloist in some desserts.
It is necessary
-
- Classic mint pesto
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 100 g peeled pine nuts
- a small bunch of mint leaves
- olive oil
- Mint pesto with basil and almonds
- 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 3/4 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped almonds
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 large clove of garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Dessert mint pesto
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 glass of water
- 2 cups mint leaves
- 1/2 cup almond flakes
- 2 tablespoons of liquid honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Step 1
Classic mint pesto
To make pesto sauce, you can use a pestle and mortar (this is how Italian housewives have made this sauce for centuries), or pulse the ingredients in a food processor. Proponents of the traditional authentic method claim that this way pesto contains more essential oils, but, of course, grinding nuts and herbs in a mortar is a long and demanding task. Either way, you need to combine the pine nuts with the peeled garlic cloves into a single paste. Then add the mint leaves to the mortar or bowl of the food processor and continue to grind, pouring in the olive oil a little at a time to combine the sauce. Since pesto is a "raw" sauce, the flavor of the oil will be distinctly discernible. Use the best cold-pressed oil you can afford. You will need oil from a few tablespoons to 1/3 cup, depending on how thick the sauce you want to make.
Step 2
Mint pesto with basil and almonds
Create a more sophisticated version of mint pesto, in which a piercing note of fresh mint is harmoniously complemented by almonds, basil and lemon zest.
Step 3
Place a dry, clean skillet over medium heat. Heat it and fry the flaked almonds for 2-3 minutes until light golden brown. Place the mint and basil leaves, chilled almonds, garlic and lemon zest in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse chop. Pour in olive oil little by little, achieve a smooth mass of the consistency you need. Season the pesto with salt and lemon juice.
Step 4
Dessert mint pesto
Dessert pesto is usually added to creamy ice cream, added to dough, or added to light fruit salads.
Step 5
Fry the almond flakes as described above. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water and bring to a boil. Cook until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool, about 30 minutes.
Step 6
Grind the mint and almonds in a food processor. With the engine running, add the cooled sugar syrup and honey, mix until the pesto is a paste. You may need to add a little warm boiled water to get what you want. Store dessert pesto in the refrigerator for no longer than 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
