Basil pesto, or Pesto alla Genovese as it’s known in Italy is my favorite pasta condiment.  Perhaps it’s the combination of the Parmesan cheese and basil, but there’s something about this stuff that absolutely and totally comforting to me.  Simple and delicious delivered in various vehicles, I still think it’s best kept simple on some spaghetti paired with some chicken or fish, or mixed up with some aioli and spread on a sandwich.  Anyway you cut it though, the people of Genoa’s simple combination of basil, nuts, cheese, garlic and oil is a culinary triumph in my eyes.

The history of this stuff appears to go all the way back to Northern Africa in the pre-Roman days.  According to Wikipedia, there was a sauce called ‘Moretum’ that the ancient Romans ate with bread and resembled pesto a bit (it involved basil at least).  Basil pesto didn’t actually come our way to the US until just recently, which was a surprising fact for me to hear.  A report by the New York Times back in 1944 was supposedly the first mention of basil pesto in the American mainstream media.

The condiment didn’t hit US households and become a fixture until the 1980s.

Variations of pesto include this eggplant stuff that I made a while back that was awesome as well.  Pesto Calabrese from Calabria (the toe of the boot) includes peppers and a creamier variation, but is really delicious.  Perhaps I’ll get into some other variations in the near future, but for now I’m sticking with the savory classic.  I’ve also decided to pair the dish with fennel, onion, broccoli and some awesome wild native shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico.  The beauty of this stuff is that it really works with anything you want.  Try chicken (pan seared and finished in the oven), mushrooms (always awesome) or potatoes (an Italian classic). Here’s what you need:

For the pesto:

• 2 cups basil – rinsed and dried (like lettuce)

• 4 Tbsp. pine nuts – toasted until medium brown
• 1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves fresh garlic – raw
• Extra virgin olive oil to bring together (about 1/3-1/2 cup)
• 1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• Dash of black pepper

This part is simple – either put all of the ingredients besides the oil in the food processor and combine until chopped.  With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the oil until the pesto comes together and the texture is rather like a paste.  If you don’t have a food processor, then you’re going the traditional route, which many say actually tastes better: combine the basil, salt, pine nuts in a morter and pestle and mash together (in batches if necessary).  Add in the cheese, lemon juice and pepper and combine, then drizzle in the oile while stirring in the bowl.

For the rest of the dish:

• 12-14 large shrimp (I really try to only eat the wild ones) – peeled
• 1 large head broccoli florets and some stems – chopped
• 1 medium onion – julienne
• 1 large head of fennel – stems removed but reserve some of the fronds
• Juice from 1/2 a lemon (or 1/3 cup dry white wine)
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil plus a little more to finish the dish
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lb. spaghetti – I really like whole grain pasta for this dish

This is pretty simple too, but you want to reserve a little time to caramelize the onions and fennel.  Start by getting a pot of boiling water going for your pasta.  Start a large pan (with a lid) over medium-low heat and add in enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.  Once it comes to a boil, add in the broccoli, cover and steam for a couple of minutes.  Drain and remove the broccoli and set aside.

Return the pan to the heat and add in the oil and butter.  Next, add in the onions, fennel, salt and pepper to taste and cook while partially covered for around 30-40 minutes, until they develop a nice depth of flavor.  Add in the lemon juice, stir and continue to saute.  You can begin cooking the pasta at this point, but be sure to add in enough salt to make the cooking liquid salty.  Add back the broccoli and shrimp to the pan and cook until the shrimp is cooked through.

When the pasta is finished, remove it with a pair of tongs and add it directly to the vegetable pan.  Add the pesto as well and mix together (you may need to transfer to a larger vessel to do this.  Adjust the seasonings and serve onto plates.  Enjoy!