So the day after Dark Lord Day, I didn’t really want to move in any way. But I needed to make something for dinner. I figured that pretty much the easiest thing to make is pesto, but I was curious about other variants, so I googled other types of pesto. This popped up, so I figured I’d try that instead. Plus it doesn’t involve pine nuts, which are always a bitch to find.
The walnuts here are toasted. For those who don’t know, toasted walnuts take on a more smoky, savory flavor when toasted. Some people compare the flavor to bacon. I wouldn’t go that far, but it’s a relative of that. Delicious.
The serranos are mostly for heat, so if you don’t like spicy things you can leave them off. I roast them to get a deeper flavor, that’s optional but highly recommended. You’ll actually put them in the oven at the same temperature as the walnuts, so you could just do them both at the same time.
Also, as with all pestos, these measurements are highly subjective. Like with any pesto, I would suggest adding half of each ingredient to the food processor to start, and then adding the rest slowly to tune the flavor in as you like.
Ingredients
1 cup walnuts, toasted (see below)
3 cloves garlic
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped (about 2 cups, give or take)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese (NOT DRIED)
2 Serrano peppers, stem and seeds removed, chopped
salt to taste
Directions
First, toast the walnuts. Preheat your oven to 350. Spread the walnuts out on a rimmed baking sheet (it doesn’t have to be rimmed but it makes your life a little easier) and pop them in the oven. Every 5 minutes, shake the pan or stir them up to keep them from burning. After 15 minutes, take them out and set them aside to cool.
If you want to roast yourself some serrano peppers, toss them with a bit of oil to keep them from burning, and put them in the oven for 30 minutes, checking them after 20 to make sure they aren’t burning. Once you remove them, let them cool and then cut the stems off.
Finally, throw everything in a food processor and puree the shit out of it. Serve with pasta or on chicken or whatever else you want.
eatbensmeat 