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by evicci

3 Comments

  1. Why spend all that time making fusilli to blow it with carrot top pesto

  2. Update: Fusilli al pesto di *cima di carota

    Second successfully extruded pasta! Used KitchenAid gourmet pasta press.

    Dough: 250g semolina, 95g water. Form into stiff crumbly dough, kneed on counter roughly 10 minutes then wrap in plastic wrap and rest in fridge +30 minutes. Section dough into walnut sized bits and pass through press (mostly at speed 2 until the length of index finger). Pause to cut. Lightly dust with semolina and twist ends in opposite directions to enforce the coil shape. Let dry in single layer. Boil in salted water 3 minutes. Drain, reserving some starchy pasta water.

    Dish: Prepare pesto. I had full carrots for another holiday dish, so I used up the tops and opted for walnuts as a better flavor profile match than pine nuts. This version is a more bitter fall take on the summer classic. Remove tops, wash, dry thoroughly. Pick off the leaves and discard stems (really be picky). I converted this recipe for pesto alla genovese:

    70g basil leaves (swapped for leafy carrot tops)

    70 g EVOO

    50g parmesan

    30g pecorino

    30g pine nuts (swapped for toasted walnuts, toast 5-12 minutes @ 350F/175C)

    2 large cloves garlic

    3g sea salt

    Would be better to go at this with mortar & pestle, but I used a small food processor. That’s why my pesto looks more chopped than a paste, oh well.

    Add a few tablespoons to pot, return pasta to pot with a little of reserved cooking water. Toss. Remove from heat and toss in knob of butter. Toss, toss, toss. Plate, topping with black pepper and freshly grated cheese (forgot to do this because I really just wanted to tuck in).

    Probably went a little overboard with the pasta water in the sauce. But I was pleasantly surprised another die worked from my new set.

    Please share what to improve upon and good eats!

  3. Candid_Definition893

    I was asking you were the carrots were before reading your update 🙂

    Pesto is not only a summer dish, you can easily grow basil in a vase at home all year long as long as you pick the leaves and not let the plant develop flowers.

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