Comments on: spinach and pea pesto pasta… served two ways

By: Italian Maven Unknown

Italian Maven Unknown — Fri, 29 May 2009 17:28:38 +0000

I COULD LIVE ON PESTO
AND PASTA
LOVE IT

By: Julia

Julia — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:21:45 +0000

Yay for using up what’s in the fridge and freezer! Looks beautiful to me!

I almost never buy anything from TJ’s because I don’t like how they prepackage all the produce. But I’m intrigued by the pasta. Hmm…

By: goodfoodmatters

goodfoodmatters — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:12:39 +0000

many thanks for the pasta comparison link; who knew indeed? I often use DeCecco, will have to try the Traders.
I’m all about Use What You’ve Got and love all these pesto variations.

By: sarah

sarah — Wed, 27 May 2009 09:11:26 +0000

that pesto (or blendo) looks truly delicious…

i’ve been making pesto using the green leaves of my radishes and that is pretty tasty also, but must try spinach and peas, that looks far too good to pass up!

and trader joe’s for pasta, who would have thunk it… we get it at aldi here in berlin, so must go see if they have any…

By: PB

PB — Wed, 27 May 2009 07:42:46 +0000

Yum. Lovely. I’m hungry and I want both of those now, please.

By: Marie

Marie — Wed, 27 May 2009 01:30:57 +0000

This post encourages me to go into my stock piled pantry and start using up the things I have there. I agree your pesto is beyond gorgeous!

By: we are never full

we are never full — Tue, 26 May 2009 23:27:11 +0000

considering pesto is anything pounded and you used a processor, i’d say it prob. ain’t a pesto. but in my world, it is. have you ever friggin’ pounded a pesto before????? after making one the legit way i realized WHY the food processor was invented – it’s b/c of pesto! it’s a real biznatch and did provide gorgeous results but only if you have the patience, time and muscle. and i drank a bottle of wine during it and even THAT didn’t help!

By: Joy

Joy — Tue, 26 May 2009 22:48:51 +0000

And yet another example of great Italian cooking – even if you took some liberties. The blog is just wonderful. Thank you for taking the time to share htis food!

I make pestos often – just whatever is laying around gets thrown in. I like the idea of the frozen peas.

By: Rachel (S[d]OC)

Rachel (S[d]OC) — Tue, 26 May 2009 21:25:57 +0000

I am on the fence here. I believe that “pesto” doesn’t have to contain nuts and cheese and is about the method of just crushing up ingredients, but I’m not such a purist that I feel a pestle is needed for it to be called pesto.

I can related to the clean out the kitchen thing. Last year I had cabinets full of many kinds of starchy products (rice, barley, couscous, polenta). After using up most of it, I’d say my kitchen was never so well stocked again. As I addressed in another post, I don’t think I’ll ever be as well stocked as you.

By: Becky and the Beanstock

Becky and the Beanstock — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:00:42 +0000

Funny — I was going to leave a comment on the actual definition of pesto (but you beat me to it). So nope, we’re not making pesto — and I’m probably not going to start. Sure, it’s therapeutic to bang around with the stone mortar and pestle but… eventually it would become a little like making puff pastry from scratch! I made a radish leaf pesto this weekend — no herbs involved. It was surprisingly good and quite lovely to look at.

By: rebekka

rebekka — Tue, 26 May 2009 01:34:42 +0000

Have you seen the show “chopped” on the Food Network? I get very, very sucked in to it. You need to be on it. You would do VERY well. I would do horribly.

By: chefectomy

chefectomy — Mon, 25 May 2009 22:11:16 +0000

It looks “voluptuous” Claudia – Molto bene!

–Marc

By: Samantha

Samantha — Mon, 25 May 2009 17:06:46 +0000

I think that the top photo is so beautiful. Clean and kind of pure food. I will try this one but alas – no guanciale.

By: SpinachTiger

SpinachTiger — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:53:14 +0000

Anyway you can get peas into a pesto is good for me!

By: maybelles mom

maybelles mom — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:36:31 +0000

Leslie must be incorruptible; if even you can’t get her to eat the pork.

By: Michelle @ Find Your Balance

Michelle @ Find Your Balance — Mon, 25 May 2009 13:45:44 +0000

It all looks wonderful! What a healthy and versatile idea.

By: rach

rach — Sun, 24 May 2009 22:00:09 +0000

I didn’t actually make it, but I did watch while Vincenzo pounded……and then I ate.
like the pea and spinach combo, it all looks delicious and real and honest as usual. YES,adding some water the pasta was cooked in – one of the best things i have learned in the kitchen recently.

By: Lesley

Lesley — Sun, 24 May 2009 13:42:45 +0000

And Chris and I are so grateful for the leftovers! We had them over penne last night…minus the pig, of course. But I thought it was better over the Lazzaroli pasta, which I will attempt to replicate in the near future (ha! we’ll see…).

By: claudia

claudia — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:41:08 +0000

in other words – NONE OF US are making pesto except rachel eats…

http://racheleats.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/pesto/

By: claudia

claudia — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:39:57 +0000

wow – the two sissy’s! flora and ethel! greenbaum’s unite!

lauren – it’s family hour! hi honey. from where oh where could you have possibly gotten that critical eye???

katiek – guanciale is in my top 3 porks…

foodie at 16 – listen up young man, there is no ‘a’ in incorrigible. FAIL! but your food is a total A+ plus extra credit.

lisa – never heard of it but i’ll keep an eye out. it better be a buck though…

jennifer and donald – my door is always open…

maggie – pesto or a bean dish. anything goes!

nithya – hi! and welcome to ceF! i agree… pesto on anything. anytime. sign me up.

BLOG NOTE:

bob del grosso has set the record straight. and he would know…

http://ahungerartist.bobdelgrosso.com/

“Nuts and cheese are not required to make pesto. Tradition demands that pesto is herbs mashed in a mortar with a pestle (pesto is derived from pestare which means to crush in a mortar). So it is a pesto if you made it with a mortar and pestle and it is not if you made it in a blender, food processor etc.”

By: Flora

Flora — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:26:35 +0000

Wish I lived in Nashville – or closer by to taste some of those amazing C.Y. pasta dishes -Yum!
Uncle B. is not an adventurous eater. Remember he still loves a P&J sandwich on white bread for lunch!

By: Ethel

Ethel — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:22:27 +0000

Such a great feeling to open the freezer and clean it out and discover things in it you almost forgot but had to have.
I had to look up the word guaniale. Shows you how much I know.
Enjoy your blog and am learning a lot too.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Sun, 24 May 2009 01:49:18 +0000

i’m drooling over the second dish. the first sounds more delicious than it is pictured, lovely as the picture is. it looks too basic, whereas the second picture looks hearty and flavorful. i’m sure though that with chris’s guanciale it was quite more than it appears.

By: katiek @kitchensidecar

katiek @kitchensidecar — Sat, 23 May 2009 23:10:08 +0000

i like the guanciale bit. now i’m hungry.

By: Foodie at Fifteen

Foodie at Fifteen — Sat, 23 May 2009 22:24:10 +0000

incorruptable vegetarian eh?…

spaghetti looks delicious