Perilla Pesto Pasta
This pesto dish is familiar but different replacing the basil with perilla leaves and other traditional Korean ingredients to make an easy pasta dish.
Perilla Pesto Pasta
Serves 4 - 5
Pesto, in my opinion, is one of the most addictive raw sauces around. I wanted to attempt making a pesto out of perilla leaves although not basil, I thought their grassy, mild anise-y flavor would lend itself perfectly to this raw sauce format. Maintaining the idea of an Italian pesto, I added Korean ingredients to make a sauce that was familiar but different. The addition of Sancho pepper and cheongyang chili for spice and maesil which adds a gentle sweetness cause this sauce to shine.
Rather than simply tossing the sauce through the pasta alone, I chose to add sauteed mushrooms and onions to the pasta. The mushrooms added a meaty earthiness which when paired with the pesto makes it complete. I finished the dish with ground sesame seeds for a final nutty aroma.
“Recipe Tips:
1. In place of the sancho pepper you can use an equal amount of ground Sichuan pepper or leave it out.”
Ingredients
Pesto
32g (2.5 T) whole roasted almonds
5 garlic cloves, ends trimmed
1 – 2 cheongyang chili, end removed
2 T nutritional yeast
4 t yondu or soy sauce
4 t fish sauce
4 t mirin
1.5 t maesil or honey
0.50 t ground Sancho pepper
0.25 t kosher salt
0.25 t ground black pepper
55g (approx 55 medium sized leaves) perilla, stems trimmed
100ml (0.50 c) olive oil
Pasta
454g (1 lb box) dried farfalle
1 T vegetable oil
250g (a little more than 0.25 lb) oyster or beech mushrooms, torn into bite sized pieces
0.25 t ground black pepper
200g (1 medium) onion, thin sliced with the grain
3 garlic cloves, minced
0.25 t kosher salt
1.5 T soy sauce
Finishing
Black sesame seeds, toasted and coarsely ground
Recipe Know-how
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Into the bowl of a food processor place the almonds, garlic and chili.
Pulse until finely ground, scraping down the sides of the processor bowl as needed.
Add the remaining ingredients except the perilla leaves and oil.
Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the perilla leaves and oil.
Continue to process, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed until smooth.
Add more oil as necessary 1 T at a time to make a smooth paste.
Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
Set aside until needed.
3. Salt the pasta water and add the pasta, cooking according to package directions.
Continue on to the next step while the pasta cooks.
4. In a medium saute pan, heat the oil over high heat.
Add the mushrooms and pepper.
Cook tossing occasionally for 4 minutes or until the mushrooms are golden brown and slightly wilted.
Reduce the heat to medium-high.
Add the onion, garlic and salt.
Cook 2 – 3 minutes longer tossing frequently until the onions are wilted and beginning to color slightly.
Add the soy sauce to deglaze and cook for 30 seconds longer.
Taste for seasoning and adjust as desired.
Set aside.
5. Remove 75ml (1/3 c) of pasta water from the pot and reserve.
Drain the pasta and pour back into the pot.
Add the reserved pasta water and pesto.
Stir vigorously until a creamy sauce begins to form, about 1 minute.
Add the mushrooms and onions and stir to distribute.
Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
Divide among serving plates and sprinkle each portion with sesame seeds.
6. Serve with jangajji cauliflower and sauteed mung bean sprouts.
