Eggplant pesto

Eggplant pesto is a creamy and fantastic sauce to be enjoyed both as an aperitif on croutons and as a sauce for a first course.

Today we are preparing a wonderful aubergine pesto, a very easy and delicious sauce to be enjoyed in all ways. There is not just one recipe for this preparation, which combines Sicily (land of delicious aubergines) and Liguria (the homeland of pesto): we will use aubergines, almonds and basil, but we will also give you lots of advice so as not to make mistakes and some ideas for to vary.

How can you enjoy it? The only limit… is your imagination: you can mix in a pasta, a risotto, or enjoy it during an appetizer or an aperitif , perhaps spreading it on toasted slices of bread. Or again, try it as a filling for a different toast than usual.
We bet you can't wait to get started : let's start with the aubergine pesto recipe right away!

How to make aubergine pesto

1. Take the aubergines (2 medium-sized ones should be enough), wash them and dry them well, then place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper and cook for about 40-50 minutes at a temperature of 220°C without cutting them or removing the peel.
2. Remove from the oven when they are nice and soft and the skin has softened.
3. Then let them cool, then cut them in half and scoop out the pulp with a spoon.
4. Place the almonds together with the cored garlic in the mixer bowl. At this point, add a few basil leaves ( 5-10 washed and dried will be enough) and add the aubergine pulp.
5. Run the blender at low speed , so that the blades do not oxidize the fresh leaves.
6. Add the cheese and olive oil slowly to make the sauce creamy.
7. Finally, stop the machine and season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
8. Your sauce is finally finished . Are you ready to enjoy a fabulous pasta with aubergine pesto? Or do you prefer to spread it on canapés? In any case… bon appetit!

For other preparations of this type , here are all our recipes for making pesto : you will also find the one that's right for you!

Pasta with aubergine pesto

Now that we have seen together how to prepare this wonderful pesto, all you have to do is use it for a fantastic first course.

1. While you make the pesto by blending all the ingredients, cook the pasta in boiling salted water. Choose the format you prefer.
2. At this point you have two possibilities. The first: drain the pasta when it is cooked and season it cold with the pesto . Serve.
3. Alternatively, drain the pasta slightly al dente and place it in a pan with the pesto and some cooking water: this way you will mix it and the flavors will combine perfectly.

If you liked the idea, how about trying our pasta with aubergines too?

Primo Chef's advice

If you don't have a blender or you want to prepare the mortar as tradition dictates, you can use a mortar .

If you want, you can also add some lemon zest to give a further touch of freshness to the dish. If you like it, mint is also perfect for this purpose.

As for cooking aubergines , however, if you feel better you can cook them in a pan or in cubes (the perfect method if you have less time). Furthermore, it is not essential to remove the peel, but if you don't do so, keep in mind that you will taste them in your mouth and the result will be more rustic . Just as you see in this video recipe :

Instead of almonds, however, you can use pine nuts (to get closer to the Ligurian variant) or other dried fruit such as walnuts, hazelnuts and pistachios if you prefer them. Each will give its particular aroma to the aubergine pesto.

storage

After preparation, keep the aubergine pesto in the fridge for about 3-4 days , but always cover the surface with oil and top up every time you use it. You can also freeze it in convenient single portions for several months.