Spinach-Basil Pesto Penne

Pesto, as a rule, can be made from anything that consists of leafy greens, nuts, cheese, garlic, and olive oil. It is something I would  have on days when bolognese, carbonara even olio suddenly sound complicated or on days when I could not be bothered to cook at all. Of course, there are thousand of different ways to substitute the ingredients. It all depends on your creativity in the kitchen. The leafy green, nuts and cheese are the variables. However, if you are a first timer, sticking to a classic pesto ingredients is a must: basil, pine nuts, parmesan, salt, pepper, olive oil. 

All you need is a pestle and mortar.  Optionally, you may need a pan to toast the nuts. This is only if you want to preserve the oil from nuts, which gives you the creaminess rather than the nuttiness* taste. 

You can opt for a food processor, which by the way  does not make you a cheater. From what I have read, different techniques (chopping, bruising, crushing, etc) would produce different pesto-taste. Or if you are not in any particular rush, try chopping. It is said that it will single out each taste of every ingredient in the sauce. I'd love to try this method one of these days. Lastly, whichever method  you choose, please avoid using a blender. You do not want to end up with a smoothie. #ggs lol

Spinach-Basil Pesto Pasta

Adapted from Jamie Oliver's Pesto recipe*.

1 handful of basil

2 handfuls of spinach

1 handful of pine nuts-slightly toasted

1 garlic or more if you like it to be garlicky

Salt & Pepper

Lemon juice (optional)

1 handful of Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Extra virgin olive oil

*Start by slightly toast the nuts in the pans or oven.
Pound the garlic with a little pinch of salt and the basil leaves in a pestle and mortar.
Add the pine nuts to the mixture and pound again. Turn out into a bowl and add half the Parmesan. Stir gently and add olive oil – you need just enough to bind the sauce and get it to an oozy consistency.
Season to taste, then add most of the remaining cheese. Pour in some more oil and taste again. Keep adding a bit more cheese or oil until you are happy with the taste and consistency. You may like to add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end to give it a little twang, but it's not essential. 

Tuesday- Meatballs Spaghetti

As you guys can see now, I've changed my blog layout.. again.. :D Mind you, this is just a temporary change.. I'm in the mid of tweaking some codes and scripts and hopefully everything will come up as planned.. Ameen. 

And as for the meatballs spaghetti, that's our dinner for tonight. I used a Prego canned sauce instead of making one, oh please don't judge. It's O-K to cheat..sometimes.. I said sometimes.. The meatballs are homemade tho.. It's from Ramsay's World Kitchen book. I gave a so-so review about it last time (okay, who am I kidding to gave Ramsay with such rating..). But this time, I've added a lil bit more of garlic (powder) and instead of parsley, I've substituted it with some Italian herbs, and it tastes fine now, more than fine. Should I claim the recipe as mine now? 

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce 

(as printed in Ramsay's World Kitchen)

(Serves 4-5)

500g good-quality minced beef 

1 onion, peeled and very finely chopped 

1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped 

50g white breadcrumbs 

25g manchego (or cheddar), grated 

2 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to finish 

sea salt and black pepper 

1 large egg, lightly beaten 

2 tbs olive oil

For the tomato sauce:

2 tbs olive oil 

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped 

1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped 

120ml dry white wine 

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes 

100ml water 

1-2 tbs caster sugar 

sea salt and black pepper

To make the meatballs, mix the minced beef, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, cheese and parsley together in a large bowl until combined. Season well and add the beaten egg to bind, mixing with your hands. Break off a small piece of the mixture, shape into a ball and fry in an oiled pan until cooked, then taste for seasoning. Adjust the seasoning of the uncooked mixture as necessary. With damp hands, shape the mixture into about 16 meatballs, trying not to press them too tightly. Place on a large plate, cover with clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes to allow them to firm up.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion and garlic and fry gently until lightly golden. Increase the heat slightly and pour in the wine. Let it bubble until reduced by half, then stir in the chopped tomatoes, water and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft, then remove the pan from the heat.

To cook the meatballs, heat the olive oil in a large, wide pan. Add the chilled meatballs and fry for 5 minutes, turning frequently, until browned all over. Pour the tomato sauce over them and simmer for a further 10-15 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.

Divide the meatballs and tomato sauce among warm bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley to serve.