NINJA Creami - Basil, Garlic Shoot, & Pistachio Pesto

One of the coolest kitchen gadgets I've ever been exposed to is a Paco Jet. The bad boy takes something frozen, and spins a bunch of blades at several thousand RPM, and shaves whatever you have into the smoothest form of it that you'll ever see. Imagine ice cream that is buttery smooth and sauces that are perfectly velvety. It's one of those things that has always been out of reach to the home cook. Why? Because the Swiss company that holds the patent is the only one to produce them, and they start at around $7,000. Despite my love of cool toys, that one has never been something I've ever even taken seriously.

Well, as with all good things, their patent expired and Ninja came to the rescue. Now, the same (or at least similar) technology is available to the home cook, at a fraction of the cost. I'll let you do your own research on it, but there are several YouTube personalities, and professional chefs, that think Ninja's evolution of the product might even be better.

Ice cream is a natural in this and that's what many people focus on with their recipes, but I was more interested in the savory applications. So the first thing I made, was a pesto. And boy, was it wonderful.

It's also insanely simple. Put everything in the container, mix it up a bit with a spoon, pack it down, and freeze it. No chopping, no mortar/ pestle pounding, and very little mess. When you are ready to eat, boil the pasta, process the pesto, and scoop. That's literally it. Perfectly emulsified pesto that you can prep ahead of time and whip out in a flash.

Basil, Garlic Shoot, & Pistachio Pesto

Makes enough for several uses

Note

Customize your pesto with whatever you have. Sub in walnuts, pine nuts, if you prefer. No garlic shoots, no worries, just add one glove of raw garlic. This also works really well with things like chimichurri ;)

Ingredients

• 1/2 C Packed Fresh Basil

• 1/4 C Packed Fresh Garlic Shoots

• 1/8 C Packed Parsley

• 1/3 C Unsalted Pistachios

• 1 Tbs Confit Garlic

• 1/3 C Pecorino Romano

• 1/2 Tbs White Pepper

• 1 tsp Kosher Salt

• 1/2 Tbs Lemon Zest

• 1 1/2 C High Quality Olive Oil

Technique

1. Put everything in the creami container, and mix well with a spoon.

2. Pack it tightly by cutting a circular piece of parchment paper, placing it on top, and use a can of something to weigh it down for 10 minutes.

3. Freeze

4. When you are ready to make your pasta, process it on the gelato setting twice.

5. Add to pasta with a bit of pasta water and enjoy.