As the summer herb season starts to wind down...
(NOOOOOO!!!!!)
... I have an abondanza of Thai basil.
I realize that may not be a problem many of you have.
So we wondered if there was any point in making a Thai basil pesto...
Cheese, of course, was a no-no. Even so, why not try it? If it wasn't a good topping for pasta, it could certainly work as a flavoring (for a curry... or a soup...).
In the processor, I blitzed about 1 1/2 C Thai basil leaves, 1/2 C dry roasted peanuts, 6-10 cloves garlic, 2 chopped fresh dragon cayenne peppers, 2t (or more) good fish sauce, 1 T good soy sauce, some lime zest and lime juice, and about 1T molasses (brown or white sugar would be fine, too).
Then I poured in some EVOO and kept processing. (Always take a moment to taste and adjust, remembering that this is going to sauce a pound of pasta with just a bit left.) In a large pasta bowl, I placed about 3/4 of the pesto, added 1/3 C pasta water, and the al dente pasta, and mixed well.
To serve, I topped with a bit more lime zest. All sorts of wonderful Thai flavors and aromas are released by the heat!
This was Flat Out Great. Try it. Trust me.