This month marks the one-year anniversary of our “Cucina” column and we hope you have been enjoying it! 
In this column we share the cuisine and recipes of Italy and our Italian American communities. Each month we feature recipes curated from our research and those shared by LGI readers.
Food and cooking are important aspects of our cultural identity and sharing recipes is one way for us to connect to our roots and to one another! 
We invite you to share your family recipes and the stories behind them with us! For our October issue, we would like to feature your dishes, so if you have a special recipe, we would love to hear from you! Please email your recipes to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. before Sept. 10. We also love photographs, so please feel free to share a photograph of your family making or enjoying the recipe; or of a beloved family member who is or was the “cook” in your family! 

dalla cucina di Roslyn Torella

One of the easiest herbs to grow is basil and as we get ready to head into fall, you may find yourself with an abundance of basil. This month we have two recipes for you, one for a basic pesto sauce and another includes peas and pasta for a way to incorporate your pesto into a nice, tasty dish. 
Pesto originated in Genoa, Italy and the name of pesto comes from the verb pestare which means to pound or crush, the method for which pesto is made. The very first Italian-published recipe for pesto dates back to 1863. Some recipes include alternatives for when basil was not in season, using other herbs like parsley or marjoram. Published pesto recipes were first seen in America in the 1920s. I personally would like to thank that Genovese cook for discovering pesto and for it to have made its way here to America a century ago! Buon appetito!

Basic Pesto (Makes two cups)

Ingredients:

2 C. Fresh basil (remove stems)
1 Large clove of garlic
2 T. Pine nuts (walnuts can be substituted)
½ C. Extra virgin olive oil
½ C. Pecorino or Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Place basil, nuts and garlic into a food processor and finely mince. With the food processor still running, dribble in the olive oil and mix until smooth. Add the cheese and mix until combined.

Pesto, Peas and Pasta (Makes 12 servings) 

Ingredients:

1 ½ lb. Fusilli pasta
¼ C. Extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ C. Pesto (packaged or see recipe above)
1 (10-ounce) package Frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 T. Freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ¼ C. Mayonnaise
½ C. Freshly grated Parmesan
1 ½ C. Frozen peas, defrosted
1/3 C. Pignoli (pine nuts)
¾ tsp. Kosher salt
¾ tsp. Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Cook the fusilli in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignoli, salt, and pepper.
Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.