Riddle: What do you get when you cross caprese with pesto?
Answer: Capresto!
After my trip to the West End Farmer’s Market last weekend, I had a huge bunch of fresh sweet basil, so I decided to make a batch of pesto. It only takes a few minutes and it is so easy to make. We have enjoyed it throughout the week. One night I served it with pasta and topped the pasta with grilled squash, zucchini, onions and peppers. Later in the week, we had panini sandwiches with pesto, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese.
Pesto is very easy to freeze, so you can make a lot now and still enjoy it throughout the winter. You can freeze it in ice cube trays and then transfer to a freezable container. This is a great we to pre-measure it and then just pull out what you need later. This is perfect if you just want a little bit say for a pizza or just a sandwich or two.
3 cups fresh basil leaves
2 -3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup lightly toasted pine nuts
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt
Toast your pine nuts and set aside to cool. Clean and dry your basil. Put first four ingredients in the food processor until well blended. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Turn processor back on and drizzle olive oil down the feeder tube until all oil is incorporated into the bowl. Add salt to taste. This will make approximately 1 cup pesto.
To make capresto, just add tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.
Kitchenarian Notes: After you remove the pesto from the food processor, transfer to a small bowl. You can continue to drizzle olive oil into the pesto until you get the consistency you want.


{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
Pesto is lovely on almost everything. It’s one of my husband’s favorites so I do subscribe to the make-a-lot-and-freeze-the-rest method like you do. Love that you added it to your caprese tower. It’s beautiful!
great photo!
I really like this presentation. I love pesto.
One of my first jobs upon moving from Ireland to NYC was at Balduccis where we made 20lb batches at a time and in season multiple batches a day.
I love the Caprese leaning tower, beautiful photo!
I had to go to Foodbuzz and buzz this – what an amazing picture. Capresto is such a fun word to say out loud. Capresto… capresto… capresto! (that was my Buddy the Elf moment of the day).
I love pesto.. I didn’t always… it took me a while to finally appreciate it. 🙂 Now I can’t believe I lived without it.
Love you presentation…That photo is amazing!
What a dreamy dish…all my favorite ingredients rolled into one. I think I’d like my caprese salad even better with pesto..yum!
What an amazing picture! Love pesto – and this is a great way to eat them. Sounds wonderful!
Awesome dish – great photo!
This looks wonderful. Caprese-anything is one of my favorite flavor combinations, especially this time of year!
congratulations on your triple crown! This is a lovely capresto;-)
What a clever idea! Looks delicious!
Very very very nice I stumbled and pinned this!
I laughed with I saw the first picture. What a great shot! This is one of my favorite flavor combinations, made even better with fresh farmer’s market tomatoes. Yum!
Wow! Great photos ~ Impressive!
What an absolutely fantastic idea and presentation! I can’t wait to make and serve this just to see people’s reactions!
I LOVE pesto but haven’t made it in forever. This look amazing, I love this idea! 🙂
Please wait here while I go get a fork! DO you mind if I just dig right in?! Yum! ♥- Katrina
These gorgeous Capresto’s would be perfect for the appetizer portion of the Get Grillin’ event I am hosting with Cookin’ Canuck. Please submit this and any two others if you wish 🙂
You must copyright the name Capresto! What fun photos. I keep thinking I will plant basil so I can have an affordable source for lots of leaves. Gotta check the farmer’s market this weekend.
What beautiful pictures!! I love the idea of the capresto – it sounds delish!
This just screams summer to me! Great shot!
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