Mushroom Pesto

Name: Mushroom Pesto
Yield: makes about 1 1/2 cups; serves 4 over 12 ounces of pasta as a main course
Ingredients: 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms; 8 ounces white button mushrooms, quartered; 1 1/2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves; 1/2 cup toasted walnuts (see page 70); 2 garlic cloves; 1/2 cup olive oil; 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese; 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

December 9, 2011

In my family, pesto was always a green sauce. But like many people, I’ve stretched the definition of pesto and expanded its horizons. (That’s what makes cooking so much fun.) This recipe uses a combination of dried and fresh mushrooms, both of which bring their own pronounced textures and flavors to the dish. Dried porcinis are easy to find year-round. And although they’re not cheap, they’re a great pantry item that you can use to jazz up a pasta dish, make a sauce to accompany a meat dish, or, of course, use as the base of this pesto.

Recipe notes

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