Milk Street Digital Class: Pesto, No Basil with Rosemary Gill and April Dodd

About this Pre-Recorded Class:

Pesto doesn’t need basil. Or pine nuts or Parmesan, or even pasta. The word comes from pestare, the Italian verb for pound. That means countless combinations of ground vegetables, herbs, cheese and nuts can be considered a pesto to dress vegetables, stir into soups, and yes, use as a pasta sauce. At Milk Street, we’ve tasted more than a dozen and have learned that, simply put, there are no real rules. In that case, how do you know to make a good pesto? Does the order of ingredients matter? How do you know if the consistency is right? We answer all your pesto questions and make three pestos together in this 75-minute pre-recorded Zoom class taught by Milk Street’s Rosemary Gill and April Dodd. The first is a very simple one made from fennel, green olives and pistachios; the lessons here are all about flavor combinations and how to make substitutions. The second and third pestos are both from the Amalfi Coast but share little in terms of flavor or technique. One is a parsley pesto is little more than barely blanched parsley enriched with anchovy, but its vibrant hue and complex flavor are now legendary at Milk Street. The second is equally loved and uses whole lemons, almonds and Parmesan cheese to create a bright but rich sauce. Each of these recipes accompanies pasta in our new cookbook “Noodles.” However, in class we’ll discuss many other uses for each. They’re so good, though, you may just eat them right out of the bowl with a spoon.