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FOOD FOR THOUGHT By
Wanda A. Adams
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Video: How to make ricotta lemon pesto |
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Giovanna "Gia" Smith met her Army husband in her native Italy. Later, when they were stationed here, The Advertiser Taste section helped her learn American-style cooking.
Now they're in Kansas, but, having read online that I recently visited Italy, she thought she'd share from her own recipe file. "It's in Italian, all my Mama's and my Nonna's recipes," she wrote in an e-mail. "But my husband help me translate this pesto sauce. It is very good to make when it's hot. No need to cook the sauce."
Smith said her mother makes this using the curved-bladed, double-handled knife known as a mezzaluna ("half-moon"), which is rocked back and forth in a wooden bowl that exactly fits the curvature of the blade. But Smith uses a food processor.
When I tested this at home, my husband and I enjoyed the fresh, clean flavors. I served it over hot pasta the first night, then we took it to work for lunch without bothering to heat it. (This makes a LOT.)
MAMA'S PESTO
In a food processor, process the garlic cloves until finely chopped. Add pine nuts and basil and pulse as you pour in a thin stream of 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add ricotta and goat cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest and process, pulsing and pour in a thin stream of the remaining olive oil. Scrape into a bowl.
Wash the fresh spinach carefully; place in a saute pan with just the water clinging to the leaves and cook over medium high until spinach is completely wilted. Drain in colander and squeeze water from spinach; get it as dry as you can. Coarsely chop spinach and stir into cheese mixture. (If you use frozen spinach, defrost it thoroughly and drain it — you can place it under hot running water if you're in a hurry; be sure to squeeze it as dry as you can).
Stir in the Parmesan or Romano, taste. Add salt and pepper to taste, or a little more cheese or lemon, if needed.
Makes 6 servings.
Serve this rich pesto sparingly. It's best over hot, buttered pasta (toss in a large bowl). It also makes a nice cracker or sandwich spread or as a filling for a hollowed-out tomato.
Send recipes and queries to Wanda A. Adams, Food Editor, Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802. Fax: 525-8055. E-mail: wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.
For more information about our 150th anniversary cookbook, call 535-8189 (message phone; your call will be returned). You can order the cookbook online.
