Ruminate Pesto

Origin: Genoa,North Italy

Meaning of name: ‘Pesto’ comes from the Italian word for ‘to crush or pound’. It was made using a traditional mashing equipment made of mortar. In the blender age,that method may not even ring a bell,but the process accords the pesto a different texture altogether.

Parentage: In the simple form,a healthy mix of crushed basil leaves,pine nuts,Romano or Parmesan cheese,garlic,salt and olive oil.

Goes best with: All forms of pasta. Pesto can be an addition to the regular sauces,or become the whole sauce. But pesto is extremely versatile. Pesto on plain toasted and/or un-toasted bread can make for a brilliant side dishe and snack. If you are a fan of seafood preparations with chutney-like fillings,then pesto is perfect for your kitchen. Steamed fish can especially come alive with some brilliantly flavourful pesto. Other beneficiaries can be – steaks,of all forms; sandwiches,scrambled eggs,pizzas and stir frys.

Can the ingredients change? A big yes! Basil pesto is the classic variant. And pine nuts,especially in India,are relatively rarer commodities. So you can swap it with any other nuts,walnuts especially are supposed to work wonders in the paste. But the basil can be effortlessly replaced by cilantro,the more exotic-sounding cousin of dhania. Another brilliant variant is sun-dried,roasted,charred and cherry tomato pesto. Now if its green pesto we are talking about,how can we forget spinach? Experimentation about pesto should,of course,never fizzle away.