Oregano Hazelnut Pesto

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Oregano Hazelnut Pesto

 

1 cup fresh oregano, washed, dried and chopped

3 T shredded parmesan cheese

1 T shredded romano cheese

2 T softened butter

pinch salt

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

olive oil

15 hazelnuts, toasted

1/2 lb fettuccine, cooked al dente

 

 

 

 

Turn the hot nuts into the bowl of the mortar and give them a preliminary few

blows with the pestle to break them into pieces. Add the oregano, salt and

garlic and combine beating and grinding motions to break the ingredients down

further. Add a little oil and use a grinding motion to further reduce the pesto

to a paste. Stir in the cheeses and the butter.

 

Turn the mixture into a sauté pan and, when the pasta is ready, lift it directly

from the cooking water to the pan with tongs, allowing some of the water to ride

along. Over high heat, stir and toss the pasta and pesto for a minute or two to

allow the sauce to thoroughly coat the strands, adding a little more pasta water

if necessary to produce a slightly creamy consistency to the sauce. Garnish with

a few oregano leaves and a spoonful or two of chopped tomato.

 

Serves 2 as a main dish, or 4 as a side

 

Source: StephenCooks.com

Formatted by Chupa Babi: 04.03.08

 

Stephen: " Elizabeth David tells us (Italian Food) that the people of Genoa,

where pesto is thought to have originated, say that a good pesto cannot be made

without Genoese basil. So the idea of making pesto without any basil at all is

doubly offensive to Italian purists. But over the last twenty years, as pesto

has become a familiar, overused flavoring for everything from grilled chicken to

scrambled eggs, we've been building on the original idea of pesto to include any

preparation that combines an herb with nuts, garlic, cheese and oil.

 

A few years ago E's brother Joey, stopping for an overnight visit, brought a

generous bagful of oregano from his garden. It occurred to me to make pesto with

it, with satisfying results. Now we grow our own oregano in an ever-expanding

patch in the herb garden and, since the oregano is a perennial and basil (an

annual plant in Maine) has to start from seedling every year, oregano pesto has

become a regular routine in the spring, when the basil is too young for harvest.

Last night I decided to substitute hazelnuts for the traditional pine nuts for

an added twist. '

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