pesto

For mushroom lovers, it'd be sacrilege not to seize the moment during the short window of time that morels are in season; they have a uniquely nutty, earthy quality that simply can't be resisted. Unfortunately, the cost of morel magnificence certainly doesn't come cheap: more often than not, these babies go for upwards of $40 per pound!

Yet I've discovered ways to work in little bits of this luxury item into my everyday meals. This pasta, which is coated in a pesto of morels, shallots, and pine nuts, is the perfect way to stretch a small amount of the delicacy while getting a good amount of their flavor, and the tab is a manageable $5 to $10 a person. Want to savor morel mushrooms on a budget, too? Here's one way to do it.

Celebrate the warmer weather with this recipe for a healthy kale pesto that reader prepel posted in the Healthy Recipe community group.

original

Superfood Pesto

Ingredients

Kale, 6-8 leaves torn into chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons water
Juice from 1/4 lemon
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1 garlic clove, sliced
6 parsley leaves

Directions

Six superfoods mixed into one simple recipe!

Add kale, lemon juice, garlic, and sunflower seeds into food processor and process until a pastey texture forms. Add olive oil and one tablespoon water. Process and scrape down sides as needed — 3-4 minutes. Add parsley leaves and one tablespoon water and process again, stopping to scrape, until a smooth texture forms. Makes 1.5 cups. Use as a dip, pasta sauce, or put on a slice of wholegrain bread with tomato and enjoy!

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For the 17th year in a row, chef Wolfgang Puck is the mastermind behind the food at the glamorous Oscars afterparty, the Governors Ball. One of Puck's signature dishes, smoked salmon pizza with caviar, is on the menu.

While it's easy to find the recipe online, caviar isn't the most affordable of ingredients. If you're hosting an Academy Awards viewing, I suggest you make another of Wolfgang's pizzas that's equally delicious. This four-cheese pizza with tomatoes and pesto is my new favorite pie.

It's so much more than your everyday cheese pizza. He takes traditional flavors and translates them into a luxurious dish. The original recipe calls for two tablespoons of slow-roasted tomatoes, but I used jarred sun-dried tomatoes instead. The result is scrumptious. To serve on Sunday, check out my variation.

It's Wednesday, and the week is already half over! Why not celebrate with an elegant and seasonal seafood supper? Employ this recipe to combine thick and fleshy white fish with fresh corn, snappy beans, and flavorful pesto.

The ingredient list calls for store-bought pesto, but if you have time, take advantage of Summer's bounty of basil, and make your own. Serve with a glass of wine and grilled bread for a light, healthful, and satisfying meal. For the recipe, keep reading.

It's been a cool Summer in Northern California, which means many of the season's heralded vegetables are arriving later than usual. Yet I don't mind the delayed gratification, especially if it means I can still enjoy such pleasures as a perfect English pea in August. Tonight, I'm going to try the vegetable in a newfound way: as part of a freshly ground pesto with walnuts, capers, and parsley.

Although this meatless, dairy-free recipe calls for ultra healthy whole wheat linguine, feel free to change it up as you like, by using regular pasta, adding garlic, or subbing another nut for the walnuts. Experience a different Summer meal when you keep reading.

I'm crazy about classic pesto; I absolutely love it and make it all the time in Summer, when basil is in season. However, after enjoying mint pesto with lamb chops, I've been really into mint pesto, too. When I came across this recipe for shrimp with mint pesto, I knew I had to make it. The thick pesto is wildly creamy, thanks to the addition of feta and parmesan cheese.

It was so delicious that I used the leftover pesto as a dip with crackers the following day! It's great with perfectly plump broiled shrimp and would be divine tossed with pasta or spread on crostini. Although the original Bon Appétit recipe serves the shrimp on rosemary skewers, rosemary was expensive at my local market, so I skipped this step. To give mint pesto a try, check out the technique after the break.

With its hearty tomato sauce, thick layers of pasta and cheese, and long cook time in the oven, traditional lasagna isn't the most Summer-friendly of dishes. However, when I came across a lighter, vegetarian version in the June issue of Bon Appétit, I knew I had to try it.

The classic meaty sauce is replaced with a homemade herb pesto and the filling is a mixture of cooked spinach, shallots, and lots of oozing cheese. It's a decadent dish that's absolutely worth the effort.

I served it at a vegetarian dinner party, and my guests could not stop raving about the creamy texture and flavorful pesto. It would also be an excellent side next to grilled meat or chicken. To give this seasonal lasagna a try, get the recipe here.

I've never met a crostini I didn't like. Place anything on a small piece of thinly sliced, toasted baguette and I will gobble it up. When this recipe for zucchini crostini arrived in my inbox thanks to a wonderfully informative food newsletter called Tasting Table, I was super excited — more so than I would be if it was any old crostini recipe.

You see, it's really fun to say the words "zucchini crostini." Try it. Say them out loud. I bet you can't help but smile, right? Since funny little things — like rhyming words that describe one of my favorite hors d'oeuvres — make me extremely happy, I knew I would not be disappointed by this recipe. I printed it on the spot and let me tell you: it's amazing!

It's simple to throw together at the last minute (it was a starter at one of my infamous impromptu dinner parties) and downright delicious. It's vegetarian-friendly and although the ingredients are basic, the flavor is rich and complex. I highly recommend you make it, so here's the recipe.

After thoroughly enjoying a cold pasta salad doused in pesto and dotted with cherry tomatoes, I wondered how the pairing would be warm. Thus, I created this easy recipe that combines hot linguine with homemade pesto and roasted cherry tomatoes. It's flavorful, rustic, and decadent — without being heavy. It's a perfect quick and simple Summer dinner. The thing that makes this pasta so special is the addition of toasted breadcrumbs. Their rich crispiness provides an unexpected but welcome layer of texture. Be sure to top with lots of parmesan cheese and pair with a glass of full-bodied white wine. Here's the straightforward recipe.

During the Summer, I love making salads that can be tossed in the fridge and eaten later in the week. In order for me to do this, the salads have to be hearty and durable; they can't be mayonnaise- or greens-based salads.

The obvious salad that comes to mind is pasta. And since basil is at its peak during the warm months, pesto pasta salad has quickly become my favorite. I like to think of this recipe as a blank canvas. Start with cooked pasta and homemade pesto, then add in a bunch of ingredients.

Antipasto elements like olives, tangy cheese, and marinated vegetables are wonderful. Fresh veggies — spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, and zucchini — also work well. A protein such as tofu, grilled chicken, or salami would be delicious, too. I recommend using my recipe as a guide and substituting in the elements your family enjoys. Learn how I make it now.