recipe box
Good food , simple ingredients , family , and la bella vita !
The smell of fresh herbs brings back wonderful memories of when I lived in Sestola , Italy , and in the surrounding little towns where herbs grow in every house garden ! Summers are filled with beautiful , abundant herbs at the local market as well . In truth , there is no Italian dish that doesn ’ t include some kind of herbs .
I remember making pesto in a mortar smelling the basil , the parsley and garlic — I couldn ’ t wait to put it on fresh pasta ... just keeping it simple and eating it on a hot summer day . Italy is all about fresh and simple ingredients . They give the best flavor to anything .
The smells of “ Patate al Forno ” ( roasted potatoes ) or “ Arrosto Misto di Carne ” ( mixed roasted meats ) that are filled with herbs make the whole house smell so inviting . My entire family would gather together for a Sunday lunch spending hours at the table enjoying good food with a glass or two of wine , talking about the simple things of life .
Well , this green sauce I make reminds me of all those wonderful things . Amy Falcone at Bella Vita Farm in the Ag Reserve partners with us at Sestola Pasta , my beautiful Italian market in Gaithersburg . They provide us with all of the fresh basil and parsley that we need for my Sestola Green Sauce . I hope that you will try my recipe and enjoy it with your own family .
Buon appetito and come see us at Sestola Pasta . I ’ ll have some homemade pasta waiting for you ! ~ Chef Emy
Salsa Verde Sestolese
2 cups fresh , organic basilico ( basil ) 2 cups fresh , organic prezzemolo ( parsley ) 3 cloves fresh aglio ( garlic ) 1 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon lemon zest 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste
Directions : Super simple – just put everything into a food processor and pulse for minute or so . Literally , that ’ s all you have to do !
What can you do with this wonderful sauce ? Almost anything ! We use it on all of our focaccia sandwiches . You can put it on fresh pasta , you can smear some on crostini , goes great on tomatoes or a caprese salad . Anything you can think of — the Salsa Verde Sestolese will make tastier , brighter and full of those springtime flavors . Make a bunch and put it on anything and everything . Buon Appetito !
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