The Lesser Known Pesto You Need To Try This Summer

[@SipandFeast]

Are you making easier summer recipes this time of year? This one requires almost no cooking. The tomatoes I used weren't the best, so if you find yourself in the same position, I recommend using canned plum or cherry tomatoes that have been well-drained. The ingredient list is right in the description along with the printable recipe. As always, thanks for liking and sharing our videos.

[@soniaschooling9762]

What a simple recipe and it taste a million times better than restaurant. Thanks for all your advice and feedback as you go. Just love you program

[@nikip9161]

I'm sure it tasted as fantastic as it looked!!! 👍🌻🍅🌿🍝

[@matthewlawton9241]

The reason store bought tomatoes are like that is because they're picked under-ripe and "chemically ripened" so the skin has the nice red color. But like you saw, peel back that skin and they're tough or mealy, lacking in natural sugars and often without acidity. Edit: For those of you spooked by the use of the word chemical, it's not really that bad. They spray them with ethylene, which your fruits and veggies produce naturally in a gaseous form as the age and eventually spoil. There's nothing dangerous about this practice, it just produces undesirable tomatoes.

[@kessler1476]

Hi, thank you for always sharing our traditional food all over the world, cheers from Italy!

[@saintseymour]

to briefly sound like the bleeding heart that i am -- i started watching your channel early in the pandemic. i have small kids, and i did not particularly know how to cook. knew what food i liked but did not know how to make anything taste like how it tastes at a restaurant. you have genuinely shown me how to cook, and i'm feeding my family every night with the techniques and recipes you're sharing here for free. sincerely, thanks.

[@katherinefrost5808]

Jim (dad): "You can give it a 5…. " James (son): "You're food is way too good for that…" Love this channel.

[@arnewengertsmann9111]

I love your taste tester. He can exactly explain what he does and doesn't like about a dish. That is no eays feat. I know lots of people who just tell me, it is good or not so good but can't say why or what I could improve. So I really love the detailed and nuanced feedback.

[@chezmoi42]

He's really getting some good training here. It will be fun to watch him develop - cook, chef, food critic?

[@kingoffongpei]

Dude, I know someone who can only give feedback in the form of "it's okay" or "not bad" and when pressed further, just says it's okay in different ways, even when I pressed him to give something, anything, specific about what's good or not good. I couldn't believe it lol. So yeah, it's not easy and not everyone can do it 😅

[@henrypeisch5289]

James definitely gets that from his mom.

[@joypaulson6093]

We all appreciate your honesty about the recipe and we love James in all of your taster roles!

[@jeanettesantarelli1795]

As my husbands family is Italian we spend a fair amount of time in Italy I appreciate your recipes. There is such a difference in regional and homestyle cooking that generally most cookbooks don't manage to grasp. Your way of keeping your ingredients true to the recipe as much as possible but yet being fluid and using what you have is important. You are spot on in my opinion of Costco's pesto. It is very good and well worth the time saving component and that comes from someone who will spend time to have authenticity in the food I make. Job well done!!

[@garlicgirl3149]

The only chef that made me appreciate the vastness of Italian cooking all across the country is Lidia Bastianich.

[@jeanettesantarelli1795]

@@garlicgirl3149 Thanks for the information I will look her up.

[@sharonvanmeter4645]

I love it when James does reviews. He is so cute you and your wife are great parents! Thank you for all the recipes!

[@TenaciousJ2323]

You're 100% right that a garden is something you do instead of something you have. I watched the video to unwind after weeding 42 tomato plants and 3 rows of corn. I'm keeping this one in reserve for my ripe tomatoes.

[@Epsilon889]

I like how he encourages us to make the recipes our own and kinda do our own thing

[@mrob75]

OK…I made Jim’s sauce today…I kept little James’ comment about the pesto tasting too much like almonds in mind, so I lessened the amount. I used about a half can of San Marzano peeled tomatoes, and I added grinds of black pepper. For olive oil, I used Frantoia. Everything else, I kept Jim’s recipe. It is AWESOME! 😊🎉😊🎉

[@katrinac469]

YES, there's nothing like a garden tomato, and a tomato sandwich on fresh Italian bread with mayo!! That dish looks delicious!

[@yyuro9877]

So underrated and so good!

[@susan3037]

You so have me craving a tomato and mayo sandwich!

[@garlicgirl3149]

Yes, that came from grandma. I used to think grandma was odd but as I got older and truly appreciated a good tomato and how DELICIOUS one can be, the tomato sandwich is delicious to me now. Oh grandma...

[@candy9986]

That was my favorite sandwich, when I was growing up 💕

[@anye76]

I've been on a pasta salad kick this summer. I almost always add a protein, maybe seafood, chicken, tuna, even steak. Some are mayo based, some seasonings and olive oil, others with store bought pesto. I took chimichurri added to the steak and bow tie pasta. The grill is out already, no need to mess u pand heat up the kitchen. It's a full meal. Trying this one Jim over the weekend for sure!

[@hungsu9204]

"A garden isn't something that you say you have. It's something you do." I have been gardening for 60+ years. These are some of the wisest words regarding gardening that I've ever heard.

[@garlicgirl3149]

I am a newbie and learning...I went to a small nursery and a wise lady told me, "start small" I am so glad she said that. I check on the flowers daily. One of my indoor plants got the spider mites. I tried to save it but to no avail😔.

[@jillo3885]

Thank you for this recipe. Just tried it with my fresh basil, tomatoes, garlic, parsley from my garden. I omitted the mint, and added 1 more clove of garlic and 2 tbsp of chopped red onion. Wow!! The best pesto ever!!! Love your channel. You have the best recipes!!

[@garlicgirl3149]

Did you add the almonds?

[@jillo3885]

Yes. I was great!!

[@mrob75]

LOVE, LOVE these summer ideas…I run high and dry deciding what to fix on these super hot summer days…I learn so much from Jim! 😊

[@SarahRenz59]

Please give us a video tour of your garden -- from the brief glimpse you gave us, it looks lovely, especially the paver stones!

[@larryp.450]

As an American (1st gen) of Italian descent, I love your videos. Cooking is the love language of Italy, and it is a major binding foundational familial element. Thank you for giving the world not just cooking lessons, but the lessons of love and familia! Grazie!!!

[@debrabrewer8024]

This is why I enjoy your channel. Not only are there great recipes, but you are honest in your presentation. Everyone could have fawned over this dish, but you discussed the quality of ingredients and how to change or improve what you made. I agree with the tomato issue. I live in farm country, so I look forward to farmstands in the summer and the fresh produce at reasonable prices. Store tomatoes are frequently like eating styrofoam. In Winter I tend to gravitate toward the vine ripened tomatoes, but primarily the grape tomatoes because the flavor is there. Keep cooking because this channel is great and I so enjoy watching.

[@13soap13]

"Your food is too good for that!" OMG ... the best tomato is your heart . . . and I hope your heart melted when he said that! Our children are our best recipes. Keep up the good work.

[@Greg_D5924]

Your son has quite the trained palette! I really like his honesty and your willingness to listen to him.

[@EvanTreempire]

Coincidentally, I made pesto alla trappanese for the first time just last week. I’ve always liked combining tomato sauce and genovese pesto, so I’m stumped how it’s taken me so long to learn about this. Cherry tomatoes are definitely the way to go unless you grow your own tomatoes or can get them in season at a farmer’s market; they’re good year-round, they’re sweeter than larger tomatoes, the skin’s thin enough that you can just throw them in the food processor and blitz them, and they still have a fresh taste that works better in pesto (canned tomatoes are great when they get cooked a little, but that’s not how you do pesto). Kudos on being honest about how it can be made better!

[@jemsmom97]

I was today’s year old (66) when I made my first pesto using this recipe. I was growing a small container of basil and parsley on my patio that was going to waste, had raw almonds in the frig that weren’t expired (had to go to another video to learn how to get skin off) always have fresh garlic and a good chunk of pecorino Romano from Costco. No toms so I used 1/2 can of stewed toms and regular EVOO also from Costco. I used cavatappi bc that’s what I had. It was delicious!! I’m not sure I would even like pesto without the tomatoes. This is a keeper. Thank you!!

[@johncox4667]

Also, you could do a whole related series about your garden - about growing herbs and vegetables. As you note, many viewers may not be able to have a chunk of land for gardening, but containers offer a way for at least herbs to be grown and some vegetables.

[@SE013]

I love how you tried to feed James, and Tara's the one to suggest letting him feed himself 😆Often times it's the father who's worried about coddling their son, which I think is ridiculous. It's so heartwarming to see the love in this family. Regarding trapanese, I noticed that you added a lot more basil than I am used to. The ones I had in Sicily looked more red and was definitely tomato based, with crunchy almonds and a lot of garlic, which gave a big punch without the need for a lot of salt. Maybe you can try a different version to see if James like it better

[@sahej6939]

Yes probably that was rosso, with dried tomatoes 🍅 in oil

[@SE013]

@@sahej6939 Actually, no they were definitely fresh tomatoes! But making it with dried tomatoes sounds amazing too!

[@Diana-qp2rw]

@@SE013You definitely need to try it, Pesto Rosso with dried tomatoes in oil is so good! And also very easy to make.

[@voodoochild1954]

I just bought Campari tomato’s from Costco. They were delicious and would have been perfect in this recipe.

[@hodgeelmwood8677]

Campari tomatoes are amazing! I get them whenever they're on sale as they tend to be a bit pricey for me, but they're so good.

[@jemsmom97]

I also love Compari tomatoes! They are the best tasting tomato when fresh summer ones aren’t available!

[@Firevine]

The basil/mint/parsley combo is such a winner. I'll mix those with jalapeno into Greek yogurt with a bit of lime juice and olive oil and BOY it's good. I've got some Roma tomatoes ripening right now, with some San Marzanos coming up behind them. Can't wait.

[@Lisasandiego1]

Best cooking video on the internet. Jim is the best! Why doesn't he have his own show on the Food Network?

[@rebeccaros1001]

I’ve been needing a recipe for both basil and tomatoes! Wish granted.

[@johntennert4721]

Thank you for your videos. This is my favorite channel and I have made a bunch of your dishes. You do an excellent job and I hope you keep doing them.

[@love_bella4693]

Looks so good! Nothing like the smell of fresh basil. Maybe you can do a review of pesto sauces? :)

[@italiana626sc]

So great to see that you have a garden! I'm growing so much basil it's ridiculous. 😄

[@ebonytexan]

Me too! I just started a couple of months ago and now the basil is EVERYWHERE 🍃

[@theblackrose3130]

I swear to you making it in the pestle and mortar is worth it. You're actually crushing the ingredients not just really really finely chopping them so the flavour you get from it is amazing

[@SipandFeast]

I can detect no difference and I've been cooking a very long time. Some will disagree with my thoughts and that's fine. Ultimate proof is a blind taste test that I might have to do.

[@bignoodle2265]

A swing and a base on error? Looks delicious. Gonna try. The apprehension on your face waiting for approval is priceless!! Thanks again for another great recipe.

[@michaelfarquharson3919]

You guys have such a great channel! I really enjoy your recipes and the family element is wholesome, so good.

[@drecoo]

Finally ! The pesto pasta 🔥 amazing video and love how the quality and the kitchens just keep getting better

[@robfb7]

It’s good to see a result that sometimes misses the mark. Gives us newbies some hope - and learn more too. What a great channel!

[@heidikippenhan5646]

You’re a great teacher! Love all the tips and you share about how you cook.

[@LoriDunbar-on9nl]

Gemelli is perfect. This pesto is fabulous...I used rich cherry or campari tomatoes...Love Tara. She does her homework. ❤

[@SpreadthelovePK]

Yes!!!!! I’m heading to the store BUT now I need to add some of the ingredients from this recipe so I can try this! I’m a teacher and have more time to create and try new recipes. However, when the school year starts, I transition to meal prepping my meals since I don’t have too much commitment and time to cook a fresh dinner meal (just for me) every single night. It can also take the fun out of cooking for me when I’m cooking only for myself 😅 That being said, I would love to see some delicious recipes that you can make ahead for the week and even freeze/reheat. Now that I’m in my 30s, I’ll spend one day of the week going to the grocery store, cooking all my meals for the week ahead. But for the meals I’m unable to finish, I will freeze (like homemade breakfast burritos that I can just reheat and take with me on the go). Would love more ideas from you guys! ❤Take care!

[@jbjacobs9514]

I only saw Busiate once - at a restaurant. They look like penne noodles linked together like a school project. hehe There is a good recipe for busiate pasta with trapanese pesto at The Pasta Project (Sicilian). But I LOVE watching your recipes (especially with Tara giving some great tips and info) - I feel kind of like I am in a Long Island Italian kitchen (preferably without a side of bugs lol)! Some vegan cheese are palatable, but nothing beats regular cheese (I am actually mainly a very sharp cheddar or mozz person OR something I can only get in NY and in Miami - Sweet Munchee Cheese - even Barney Greengrass stopped having it 😞 - so heartbreaking!). I have one last thing: I am so happy to see you drinking water a lot. It makes my heart sing!

[@jeremywilson6387]

Another great looking dish I will have to try making myself. Thanks as always!!!

[@CONTINGENCY_sys]

Love the quality of the full visual background and foreground and audio on all your videos. Don't change a thing it is all great. The recipes are all awesome and full of great tips that work. You always seem to find cool looking noodles we don't get anywhere here where I live. Those sauces are a great skill for any chef to learn for all kinds of dishes. You love cooking and we love watching. Great stuff.

[@CONTINGENCY_sys]

Those hanging tomato growers that are all over are really easy if your fans and followers are looking. There are so many out there and from experience they grow some serious tomatoes, like softball size. It's like gravity is your friend and easier on the plant getting the nutrients from the roots to the fruits so to speak. Those beefcake tomatoes on a burger or chopped up were like candy. So good.

[@henrypeisch5289]

“You can use one of the vegan cheeses. I don’t really know what they are”… I’m relieved and will keep watching.

[@john2k24]

I think it looks amazing, just got a big batch of basil I’ll be making this for sure

[@TLuds]

Great recipe for summer! Instead of plum tomatoes I use a jar of sundried tomatoes…. Throw maybe 1/3 jar in the food processor w/ other ingredients and then I roughly chop the remaining and cook in pan for a couple minutes prior to combining everything. I think they add a nice touch of sweetness to this dish!

[@craigsimons2217]

I like the comment about gardening - it’s something you do - constantly.

[@annenelson5165]

I can smell that fresh basil through my screen! 😋

[@ryanholbird7460]

Loved the glimpse of your garden here. Let's see a video short of you walking through how you did it and what you grow?

[@SipandFeast]

I will show more in the coming weeks/months as the eggplant, tomatoes and other veggies grow. I do post garden progress stories on my Instagram fairly regulary.

[@fabulousrobert6607]

Anything with Pesto is already going to really good. One of my all time favorites 😁

[@joecooksey4331]

I went out yesterday and pulled basil and tomatoes from the garden... about half Thai and half purple of some variety. Processed everything except putting the cheese in. In the frig overnight. Tasted it this morning... and it's a 2 thumbs up. Eating it tonight with rotini and garlic bread!

[@LamarrWilson]

I love your videos my dude I have that exact mixer but have been SCARED to make my own pesto or guacamole. Why I don't know, haha!

[@Galactic123]

Holy cow it's the real Lamarr, I miss your videos bruh!

[@Kyle496]

What's the worse that can happen? You waste a few dollars on ingredients? I wasted a few hundred on my BBQ beginnings but now I can consistently make anything better than most restaurants (in my humble opinion).

[@TheIslandBathProducts]

You have a beautiful family. Thank you for sharing such wonderful recipes ❤

[@rustybearden1800]

I always grow tomatoes, hot peppers, Simon and Garfunkel herbs (parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme), several kinds of mint, greek and italian oregano and tons of basil. Mercilessly trimming your basil means you always have it in excess so traditional Genovese pesto is always plentiful in my house during the summer. I've never had this Sicilian style pesto with mint, parsley, romas and almonds so it's my next preparation. You can really make pesto out of any green fresh herbs and all kinds of nuts and hard cheeses. I always store mine in airtight containers, leveled evenly and covered with good quality olive oil to preserve the freshness and color. A generous tablespoon of homemade pesto in almost any dish or sauce brings a lovely punch of flavor and richness. Even with a platter of fresh sliced or grilled bread, olives, roasted peppers, pickled mushrooms and artichokes, your favorite cheeses and a glass of wine for a lovely antipasto or light supper. LOVE YOUR CHANNEL! Thanks and keep 'em coming🙋‍♂️🌞👍🔪

[@janellek21]

Tomatoes, more than any other vegetable, taste far better when you grow them yourself and use them within minutes after you harvest them. The ones you get at the supermarket were picked before fully ripe and ripened off the vine before being sold. The flavours don't fully develop that way. Once you've had home grown tomatoes you never go back.

[@andybroer651]

I make my own pesto, usually with pine nuts (expensive!) but may try this version with almonds and tomatoes. Thanks for another great video Jim!

[@moonie2057]

little tip from my desi mom for peeling tomato skin ; just put it on top of an open flame , for a few seeconds , the skin'll get wrinkly and black in some places , which makes it easier to peel by hand

[@KSGomez88]

I made this on Thursday, it was phenomenal (except I used linguini). I just wanted to let you know I made and eggy pie with the leftovers and it was OUT OF THIS WORLD!! 😊

[@kathleenmaher2051]

I love this pasta … this weekend made arugula from my garden pesto and used this Basiate pasta that I bought from Sicily … the form of the pasta hugs and really absorbs the pesto … quite honestly… better the next day …

[@nikkistout]

Loveee this. Going to try it with the Kumato tomatoes from Trader Joe’s!

[@reezefab]

Love watching this channel. Gives me new ideas for dinner.

[@douglasb9105]

This is DEFINITELY worth a try in my book!👍👍 Also, your garden looks GREAT! Don't you wish you could walk out and grab basil like THAT year round? I know I do.

[@debbygesaman3892]

Love your show😀. Made the pesto right away, followed it to the letter but forgot to remove seeds from tomatoes so it became a little too soft, but scrumptious ! My basil is going bonkers so am thrilled to have some way to use it. I will make more and freeze it. Thank you!!

[@dianemyers4031]

Everything always looks so good 😋❤️

[@Geebunger23]

Loving pesto this year. You looked so proud grabbing that herbs from the garden!

[@pres589]

Your garden looks awesome!

[@beedoubleyou_]

It would be a lot easier if you can instantly publish this to my 'food' playlist and save me from having to save each one! Thank you for this. Love all your vegetarian recipes.

[@FeliceChiapperini]

I rarely make my own tomato sauce, but I got several pounds of Roma tomatoes for free (they looked like yours). I left them on the kitchen counter for over a week, until they were very soft (almost mushy). I blanched them and peeled them and cooked them down. I added olive oil, shallots, salt and pepper. I then added a couple of teaspoons of tomato paste and cooked for about 20 minutes longer. To my surprise, the sauce was rich and sweet (no sugar added). I think leaving the tomatoes out for as long as I did made the difference.

[@eddiewilson8119]

Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!

[@bellad.5759]

I've always heard that once your basil starts blooming it isn't any good. I quite growing it because I couldn't use it quick enough. Your herbs in the containers look beautiful. You should make a video on gardening. Love hanging out with you and your family. Thanks for the videos and recipes.

[@mrs.y]

Oh this looks so good. I don't like the pine nuts in normal pesto, so I'm excited to try with the almonds. Thank you for making this dish!

[@kathleenkolb3316]

Love pesto! Your basil is amazing, the tomatoes look not so great. I am sure this is delicious. Nothing like fresh and flavorful food. My husband makes pesto every summer with just leaves from our very small garden and it is so good. Will try this combo when the tomatoes are super ripe. Thanks for sharing another interesting recipe. You are fabulous and makes me so homesick for the north, stuck here in NC

[@rneustel388]

This is one of my favorite pasta shapes.

[@missastrology]

Can’t decide which one’s growing faster: The channel or the TasteTester!

[@miseentrope]

Since you showed your potted herbs (GORGEOUS!)...we need/want/please and thank you in advance for a how-to-grow patio kitchen garden in containers a la SipandFeast way. SRLY 🌱

[@mattmarquardt1031]

Love these honest reviews

[@briankillian5248]

We need more of your wife in the videos. Her sense of humor is excellent...and she keeps you in check! LOL

[@WilliamStout27]

Good one, I'm having to make pesto logs for the freezer every two week right now. It's growing like weeds. I like this and will give it a try Jim.

[@JohnMartin-ys1kn]

Yes. Thanks S&F.

[@jeffreyburnwood8084]

Thank you for your videos! Really inspiring for me :D I hope that one day you’ll give tips on how to grow our own greens at home!

[@jamesclancy8536]

Having this for dinner tonight. Going to have some sautéed zucchini and some marinated chicken breasts with it. Cleaned out my basil parsley crop and made a 3 cup batch so we have plenty for leftovers. Keep the recipes coming.

[@Kelvinalmeida387]

Amo vocês demais ❤ GRATIDÃO ETERNA 🇧🇷💪

[@habequiddam]

Thanks for all the vegetarian friendly dishes that have been popping up on your channel!

[@terriatwell4041]

I made this tonight with basil, parsley and mint from my garden. I tossed in a little dried Italian seasoning for flavor. (Just kidding.) It was delicious. I make "regular" pesto frequently in the summer but I like this variation. The only thing I need to do is remind myself to cut your recipes in half-the portions are so generous . Thanks for another excellent recipe.

[@hodgeelmwood8677]

The problem with a lot of commercially-produced tomatoes is that they're picked green and treated with ethylene gas during transport to help give them color. If they're a pinkish-red, that's how they were "ripened." If the color is more of a red-orange, they ripened without the gas (tomatoes ripen in the dark, but letting them ripen on the vine gives the best flavor). Sometimes you just don't know what you're going to get when you buy tomatoes at the store (even the organic ones)!

[@beanie7547]

Loved this video for so many reasons. Absolutely will use cherry tomatoes even if my garden tomatoes take off this year and maybe I’ll go easier on the nuts given James said it’s all he tasted. This will be a good one to try.

[@The_Timinator]

Having made Pesto with both a Mortar and Pestle and a Food Processor, the Mortar and Pestle makes the best Pesto, there's so much more flavor and aroma from the crushed Basil and the Garlic, but it's a lot more work because nobody has a Mortar as big as the bowl on a food processor so you have to crush multiple batches, but I look at the Food Processor as still being 100 times better than store bought. I can only grow Basil in the Fall and early Spring, it's too hot in the California Desert for Basil, Tomatoes, Squash in the late Spring and Summer. Cherry Tomatoes are my "go to" for fresh Tomato flavor.

[@klynchga]

Please do a Pesto sauce taste test!

[@dianad6314]

Lovely ❤as usual... so when can I come for dinner😅btw made your NY coleslaw on the weekend for the family, they were blown away by it🎉thanks again and I love watching you both ✌🏻❤

[@JB43186]

Thanks. My pesto is never good. Gonna try this recipe for our meatless Friday dinner. I’m going out to the backyard to grab my pesto now! Thanks!

[@garlicgirl3149]

This all about learning and lessons. I appreciate you guys telling us that. Your basil looked FANTASTIC!! (I started basil this year) But learning about the tomato...sigh! I feel like that is everyone's struggle is to find good tomatoes. I am a newbie gardener. I am trying the tomato. Sooooo, if you want to do an episode on gardening tips feel free. LOL! I am still going to try the recipe anyway.

[@teamginger6359]

I can spell the basil too! 😊 Looks so yummy!! 🎉🎉🎉

[@ResearchQueen1]

Thank you 😊

[@chelsea6804]

I live in the PNW and reeeeeeally miss being able to grow stunning and flavorful tomatoes. I just got some really deep red little San Marzanos and some Comparis from Trader Joe's. For store bought, they are the closest to a dry-farm super yummy tomato I've found. Either one would be great for this recipe. Thanks for the video! Can't wait to try the recipe!

[@joeyhardin1288]

I have found the only good thing to use a store bought tomato, is in a Kentucky Hot Brown. Where the high acid makes the other ingredients stand out. Thank you. God Bless and stay safe.

[@fredberry1342]

Tomatoes are shipped in truck and during shipping a gas is released in the truck so the tomatoes turn red. Most of the tomatoes that were put in the truck are probably pretty green

[@eily_b]

I will definitely try that. I make a tasty red pesto with dried tomatos. 🤤Don't know it is has a name though.

[@blueblazer201]

I really like the kid being mic'd up. He's going to be an entertaining personality much like his parents.

[@jc2091]

Your "tips" basically taught me how to actually cook Italian, as opposed to just boiling pasta & heating up canned sauces (ughhh..) lol Oh too that basil looks fabulous!

[@Richard-om7vd]

You're full of it alright, GOOD information. I love your channel. I love getting your emails with so many delicious recipes. Excellent video at always.