OK, I’ll bite –
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Why is canola oil more fattening than olive oil?
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If you’re concerned about that sort of thing, why are you eating pasta?
True enough, but being an urban apartment-dweller, 10 square feet of available growing space are hard to come by. (At least, unless you want to deal with trying to convince my psycho building management company that they should let me dig up part of the backyard.) I did have some growing in a big planter on the back porch last summer, however, plus I know a couple of local produce stands that consistently carry fresh basil at a reasonable price in the summer.
Since starting this thread I’ll admit I’ve only ever made pesto a couple of times (similar space constraints meant I was trying to mash up pine kernels with a pestle and mortar while not splurging too much oil around the place!*) - true it *does * taste better/fresher etc. but we are never without a jar of Barilla Pesto Genovese. My one caveat is that at home we usually mix our pesto with a bit of crème fraiche and eat with gnocchi as winter comfort food so the whole ‘fresh/green/zinginess’ is already compromised a wee tad.
To address some of the OP’s questions
1 Usually Barilla - I find it useful to always have a jar somewhere around the place and, being unrefridgerated initally it keeps longer.
2 Once opened I keep a jar in the fridge for weeks (if not longer!) - I was told by Italians to add extra olive oil to ensure that the ‘surface’ of the pesto was covered but I don’t always remember … you may notice a cloudy appearance when you do this but that’s just how the oil chills.
3 Depends what you want it for, as I said a jar or two are constants in our kitchen but if it was for a special meal - and to be eaten unadulterated by cream I’d be tempted to try refridgerated type but I’d go to a local Italian Deli rather than a supermarket in that case.
4 I guess everyone else has addressed this one. All I can say is that I never noticed any of my Italian friends shy away from using store bought pesto. I have never seen anyone make it at home.
*I have good intentions for after the kitchen has been done up tho’, honest
I too am food-processor-less and reduced to jars.
I have found that Sacla and Buitoni are yummy, but Filippo Berio tastes like poo.
oil + salt = good, especially on pasta.
I’ve made “pesto” with Cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, pine nuts, and olive oil. I used it for a topping for quesadillas.
You don’t NEED a food processor to get pesto-like flavor.
Just chop all that stuff up on a cutting board with a knife, and top your pasta with it. You might want to toast the pine nuts, and maybe cook minced garlic for a short time in olive oil. Combine it all together in a bowl, and then toss the pasta with it, or dip bread in it.
I get the “fresher” grocery store options, the ones in the refrigerator section (Buitoni usually) rather than any jarred kind. They taste fine, and mixing their pesto and alfredo is yum-yum.