Pesto mussels & toast | Seafood recipe | Jamie Oliver recipes (2024)

FAQs

How to use pesto from a jar? ›

What are some ways to use pesto sauce? Other than pairing it with pasta, pesto sauce is a great way to add flavoring to soups, dips, or vegetables. Add pesto sauce as a condiment on sandwiches or use it to make compound butter. Finally, adding pesto to scrambled eggs introduces bold flavoring to this simple dish.

Add a pinch of salt if the basil tastes too bitter or the pesto needs more zing. Add more Parmesan if you'd like a creamier/cheesier pesto. If desired, you can thin out the pesto with more olive oil.

My favorite thing to do with all of those fresh herbs (aside from sprinkle them on everything) is to make pesto! It's especially great for lazy summertime cooking. I like to dollop it on grilled vegetables, pasta, spaghetti squash, salads, eggs, toasted bread, pizza, sandwiches… you get the idea.

Steaming is the most common method of cooking mussels. It's a quick and simple way to get a delicious meal on the table. The steam during the cooking process is actually what opens the mussel shell. Do remember that even if a shell doesn't open, it's still good to eat – just prise it open with a knife.

We recommend 50 grams of pesto per person if serving as a simple pasta dish. Our accountant recommends more. In Italy, you'll find that chefs use just enough pesto to coat the pasta, and they certainly don't allow the dish to drown in it.

Just be aware that exposing pesto to too much heat for too long will change its flavour. Whenever possible, therefore, we add it right at the end of the cooking process to minimise any flavour loss.

Pesto will last in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. If you've stored it in the freezer, it will last for 6 months. When you're ready to use frozen pesto, thaw it overnight in the fridge or place the container of pesto in a bowl of warm water for a quicker thawing time.

PESTO SHOULD NEVER BE “COOKED”. If you cook Pesto Sauce, you change the make up of the fresh basil and cause it to turn darker in color. It is best to warm it up and use it at room temperature. If it needs to be thinned out, you can do so by adding a little water, chicken stock, cream or white wine.

Yes, pesto can be used straight from the jar and doesn't require cooking or heating. In fact, we actively discourage applying too much heat to pesto, as this will destroy many of the fresh flavours that producers work so hard to retain.

Which meat is best with pesto? ›

Italian Tradition

It can be mixed into tomato sauce to enhance the flavor of pasta dishes or used with fish fillets to make them more appetizing. There are other versions of pesto with variations in the ingredients, but these are not part of the Ligurian tradition.

It originated in the Italian city of Genoa, and is used to dress pasta and sometimes soups.

A simple rule to go by is: “If you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it!”. Your mussels should be cooked within about 3 – 5 minutes, and don't forget to make sure they are all open before tucking in!

Set the pan over a high heat and cover tightly the lid. When the pan starts to steam, cook the mussels for 3-4 mins, shaking the pan from time to time. They are cooked when the shells have opened. Spoon them into warmed bowls and pour over the pan juices.

Saltwater helps preserve mussels, but they're unlikely to die in fresh water when soaked for a short time. Most mussels are farm-raised and are often cleaned before you buy them. However, it doesn't hurt to soak them to remove any remaining debris.

Soaking live mussels in flour water cleans out any remaining grit, plumps up their meat, accentuates the meat's color to make it more orange, and gives them a creamier texture. The mussels will eventually drown if left in flour water long enough, so only do this a few hours ahead of cooking them.