Pesto-Crusted Salmon with Homemade Basil Pesto
I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted. Things have been pretty hectic for me lately, and I think I’ve spread myself a bit too thin. Over the next couple of months, my posts may be sporadic at best. I’m going to be going through in-vitro (more on that here) and, from what I’ve read, it’s no walk in the park. On the days when I’m feeling up to it, I’ll try to get some fresh content on here. Meanwhile, enjoy this 2-for-1 special!
The Pesto
I had what looked like an abundance of basil growing in a flower box by a window sill. I decided to try my hand at making pesto. I found a recipe by Martha Stewart and gave that a shot. My “abundance” of basil was not enough for a full batch, so I cut the recipe in half. Sadly, the results were very bland. (Sorry, Martha!) I wasn’t ready to give up, so I played around with it until I achieved the flavor I was going for. The truth is, I really like the pesto sold by Buitoni, so that’s pretty much what I was going for.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup pine nuts
4 cups basil, loosely packed (about 2 ounces)
2 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread pine nuts evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven until golden and fragrant, tossing once, about 8 minutes. Let cool completely.
Meanwhile, bring 4 cups salted water to a boil. Add basil and submerge for a second or two. Immediately drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Pat basil completely dry with paper towels.
In a food processor, combine nuts, basil, garlic and parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Process until nuts are finely chopped. With machine running, pour oil in a steady stream through the feed tube. Process until smooth. Use immediately or freeze.
The pesto can be kept frozen up to 6 months. If you freeze it in small quantities (Martha suggests using an ice cube tray) it will thaw very quickly at room temperature. I had about 6 “cubes” worth in a sandwich bag, and they were ready to use in about 15 minutes. Just smoosh the pesto around in the bag to reincorporate the oil.
Makes about 1 cup, or 8 servings of 2 tablespoons each.
The Salmon
Ingredients:
Salmon filets, 1 per serving, as big as you’d like
1 to 2 tablespoons of pesto per filet
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Arrange the salmon, skin side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread each filet generously with pesto. Bake for 20 minutes, until salmon is light pink and flaky.
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August 26th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
THe salmon looks awesomely delicious!
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October 30th, 2008 at 2:44 am
I never thought of combining salmon with pesto but your recipe sounds delicious and I am sure it is. Thank you for sharing this recipe and inspiring me.
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April 25th, 2010 at 11:04 am
This is AMAZING!! I made it last night for the family and it was a huge hit. I think I will try it on the grill next time. So yummy – this is a must try!
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