Once Upon a Time in the West….”New Mexican Chile Pesto”
August 3, 2011 § 21 Comments
I love a great American road trip…one of the best is to drive to Santa Fe via Route 66 and I-40….East to West to East. Just got back from a week or so on the road where many sites were seen, much food eaten, an abundance of conversation, laughter & awe ensued. Some of stops along the roadways were delicious stops, some iconic, a historical stop or two & some truly poignant imagery was seen.
“Once Upon a Time in the West……”
A simple recipe for “New Mexico Chile Pesto”
Pesto Ingredients: 3 roasted, stemmed & peeled New Mexican Chiles (I had some in the freezer from the last trip); 2 handfuls fresh basil; 1/2 to 1 cup toasted pine/Pinon nuts; 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese; Juice of one fresh lime;olive oil to drizzle
To Make:1. Place chiles, basil leaves & pine nuts in a food processor. Pulse until chunky. Scrape down sides of processor bowl.
2. Add in Parmesan & squeeze in fresh lime juice. Pulse a few times. I like a more chunky pesto so I don’t over process. You can process to your liking.
3. Add about 1/3 cup olive oil and pulse a few times.
I have been experimenting this summer with gluten-free pastas and bread products. A box of Quinoa pasta was in my pantry that I thought would go well with this pesto. I was right. The Quinoa pasta was just the right texture to stand up to this very spicy pesto. I found this and many other gluten-free pastas at The Turnip Truck here in Nashville. There is absolutely none of the sometimes unpleasant texture or taste that gluten-free products can have.
To Serve:
I picked a few little tomatoes from my heat-stroked garden and cut them up. Cooked the pasta al dente. Partially drained the pasta and returned it “wet” back to the pan….added a few dollops of the chile pesto and tossed it all together.
Movie suggestions while eating this flavorful ode to New Mexico “Once Upon a Time in the West” directed by Sergio Leone, 1968 with Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale & Jason Robards. Or how about “Cowboys and Aliens” currently in cinemas which takes place in New Mexico.
Music suggestions? There are so many…”Once Upon a Time In the West” Dire Straits, “How Will the Wolf Survive” Los Lobos, “The Border” Willie Nelson, “Willin’” Little Feat, the sound track to “All the Pretty Horses”Marty Stuart……….
Adios…
