I finally have basil in my garden. Basil I can use. This is a huge development.
I had no basil during the winter. None. Growing anything outdoors in northeastern Oklahoma from October through March is not possible, and I wasn’t organized enough to start indoor plants for my kitchen windowsill. And then there was the blight–whatever basil blight made buying basil anywhere within a hundred miles of the ranch remotely possible.
Do you know how difficult it is for me to live without basil for extended periods of time? It’s torture. This summer I’m making and freezing pesto in ice cube trays until I have no fight left in me. As God is my witness, I’ll never go without basil again.
Here’s what I made myself for dinner last night. It made me so darn happy, I cried.
I’m still crying, actually.
Basil! Basil! Who wants some basil?
Too bad. I’ve gone so long without it, I’m afraid I part with any. But you can find it at your local farmer’s market or grocery store.
Egg McMuffin. Corner of Broadway and Belmont.
Name that movie.
Throw the basil into a food processor or blender.
Grate up some Parmesan…
And throw it in, too.
Then grab some pine nuts…
And throw some in. You can toast them in a skillet first, if you’re motivated, have the the time, and can’t eat pesto unless the pine nuts are toasted.
I fall into none of those three categories.
Now grab some garlic. Ain’t as good without it.
Peel the garlic and throw it in with the other beauties.
And finally, sprinkle in some salt and pepper.
Throw on the lid, turn on the machine, and drizzle in some olive oil as it mixes.
Stop when it’s all combined. Pull off the lid. Stick your nose anywhere in the general vicinity. Inhale. Reflect that nothing exists on earth that smells better after a long, dreary, lifeless, gray, drab winter than the smell of fresh basil. Then take another whiff and die from bliss.
Boil some pasta. I love this shape, but fusilli would also be wonderful.
In a small saucepan, heat up some heavy cream…
And throw in some butter.
When the butter is melted…
Throw in the pesto.
Oh, is this a beautiful sight. Cream. Butter. Pesto.
And the world is, again, a glorious place.
Stir it together, then go write a sonnet.
Finally, throw a little Parmesan into the sauce. Stir it together.
Drain the pasta, then throw it into a serving bowl.
Pour the pesto cream over the top.
Garsh.
Garsh garsh garsh.
Finally, chop up a couple of tomatoes.
Throw ‘em right in…
And toss it all together. The tomatoes will be warmed by the hot pasta noodles and the cream sauce, and they’ll keep their shape because they’re not getting cooked to death.
Goodness. Sonnet time again.
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more fragrant and more filled with carbs.
Please, my friends: get thy hands on some basil and make this soon.
It’ll float your boat in a major way.
Here’s the printable recipe:
Recipe
Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Difficulty:
- Easy
- Servings:
- 8
Ingredients
- 3/4 cups Fresh Basil Leaves
- 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 3 Tablespoons Pine Nuts
- 2 cloves Garlic, Peeled
- Salt And Pepper, to taste
- 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan (additional)
- 12 ounces, weight Pasta (cavitappi, Fusili, Etc.)
- 2 whole Tomatoes, Diced
Preparation Instructions
Cook pasta until al dente.
Add basil leaves, 1/2 cup Parmesan, pine nuts, and salt and pepper to a food processor or blender. Turn machine on, then drizzle in olive oil while it mixes. Continue blending until combined, adding additional olive oil if needed. Set aside.
Heat cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add pesto and stir.
Drain pasta and place in a serving bowl. Pour pesto cream over the top. Toss to combine. Add diced tomatoes and toss quickly. Serve immediately.
