Cinque Terra Pesto

When I was 19, I did a study abroad program in Paris. The schedule was arranged so that we attended class Monday through Thursday, which left us free to explore other places from Friday through Sunday. One weekend I went to Germany, another to Switzerland, and once, on something of a last minute lark, I headed to Italy with some girlfriends.

Back in 2001, Cinque Terra had yet to receive the coveted rating as one of the world's top five best vacation spots. So while the Europeans were familiar with its rocky cliffs, pebble beaches, and sea green Mediterranean waters, this American had to check a map. I can't believe I actually debated whether or not to spend the extra $200 to go to Italy that weekend...

Cinque Terra is a series of five coastal towns, and the primary industry appears to be hospitality. Lots of hotels, cafes, restaurants, and little shops, all owned and operated by some of the kindest, friendliest people I met in all of Europe. It was at one of these little restaurants where I first tasted pesto with gnocchi. I'd seen spinach noodles before, which are green, but I'd never seen pasta served with a green sauce, so I was definitely intrigued. Needless to say, it was my favorite dish of the entire summer. I continued to order it at Parisian cafes and London bistros until I returned home.

Back in Arizona, I was surprised when I started to look for pesto with gnocchi on menus, and came up short. Feeling like I had to have that delicious dish again, I learned to make pesto. Gnocchi, little potato pasta dumplings, are another story. Given the amount of labor these little guys require, I go with store-bought.

To make this pesto, you will need:

2 oz block parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsps toasted pine nuts*

2 cups packed fresh basil

olive oil to taste

Cut the parmesan into smaller chunks, drop it into the food processor, and pulse until you have little bits of parmesan. This is much more cost effective than buying the pre-grated stuff, especially because the food processor necessary for this dish. Reserve in another dish for use in bit. Next, peel your garlic, and drop it whole into the food processor. Pulse a few more time, and you should have a nice smattering of little garlics. Take a moment to scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the basil and pulse to combine. You should have a green paste now. With the machine running, drop in your toasted pine nuts, parmesan, and begin to add your olive oil in a steady stream. How much depends on the texture you crave. I like my pesto on the thicker side, so I go for a little less. If you like yours thinner, just add a bit more oil.

You'll get about a cup of pesto, which doesn't sound like a lot, but in the world of pesto, it's actually quite a bit. Save any unused in a glass jar in the fridge for up to a week. You can do a variety of things with pesto, but of course, my favorite way to enjoy it is over gnocchi.

*If you've seen that a pound of pine nuts costs $15-20, rest assured that I do not spend that kind of money to make this recipe, and neither should you. Next time you're at Sprouts, you can buy just what you need in the bulk nut section. Two tablespoons of pine nuts costs about 50 cents. To toast the nuts, simply pre-heat your oven to 300, spread the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake for about 5 minutes, or until you can smell the nuts.