pesto parmesan prosciutto pastry twists.

this recipe post is brought to you by the letter P!

and only 5 ingredients!

(^^^ real glad elmo's episode in that link above was about the potty..haha. i was just going to say how apparently so many great things start with the letter P. i suppose the potty is pretty great in its own special way, too.)

also: peter just asked if what's in that cup was melted butter for dipping..........🙈

oh the things you don't really notice about a photo until the last second.

it was a very bright BEER. i do not dip my pastries in melted butter, and i don't really recommend that to others. but that's your prerogative. [<< ooo, P word]

these twists are inspired by a delicious ham and pesto treat that my mom's friend makes around the holidays. i'd been wanting to twist something up into puff pastry so this seemed ideal! i made these right after christmas and they stayed moist and delicious in a container until new year's eve!

and the eaters of these puffy twists were delighted! it's great when something so enjoyable to everyone is so super easy to make. grrrreat successsss.

just unfold your puff pastry sheets, brush with olive oil, spread pesto, add prosciutto, sprinkle parmesan, twist, and bake!

they come out so puffy and perfectly savory and satisfying. i even cut them in half again after baking, so you can stretch this recipe quite a way and get about 24 little twists.

the puff pastry is soo buttery and delicious...you don't even need a side of melted butter for dipping!! 😉

(please refer to the melted butter mix-up above if you missed that tidbit.)

it was a little bit tough to slice through the prosciutto without it wiggling around. gently press the slice of prosciutto down so it stays in place. a serrated knife actually helped a bit.

then twist baby twist.

and sprinkle with more parmesan cheeeez!

one of the greatest things in life are those cheese crusters that occur on sides of grilled cheese sandwiches, nachos, and these twists!

i purposely put cheese on the edges of all those items so it will crisp up into its own little crunchy cheesy side snack.

back in my starbucks days, we'd put the stray crumbles of cheddar cheese that fell off the frozen breakfast sandwiches onto parchment and heat em in the oven for a crispy cheese cruster morsel of delight. i think that era of cheese pilfering is the reason i call those, "cheese crusters...." who said that? what's a cruster? whitney was that you? nicole??

anyhow, y'all should try making these! and you can use this pesto recipe while you're at it!😉

PHENOMENAL! pip pip!

Pesto Parmesan Prosciutto Puff Pastry Twists

Makes 8 - 12 Twists

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 thawed puff pastry sheets (I use Pepperidge Farm)
  • 1 - 2 TB olive oil, for brushing
  • 2/3 cup fresh pesto
  • 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 6 - 8 thin slices of prosciutto

Instructions-

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Lay the thawed puff pastry sheets (unfolded) flat on parchment paper on top of a large cutting board. Lightly brush the surface of the pastry sheets with olive oil. Spread a thin layer of pesto across the sheets, staying about 1/4 inch away from the edges. Lay the prosciutto slices on top. Sprinkle with a handful of parmesan cheese. 

Make sure the parchment and pastry sheets are on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife or pizza cutter, slice the sheet into 4 to 6 equal strips. Slicing into 6 strips per sheet makes a few more twists, and the size is a little better. I preferred the twists in thinner slices.

Holding both ends of the strip in each hand, begin twisting in opposite directions. Keep twisting until the pesto and prosciutto is all twisted up inside the pastry. Fold over the very ends of the twist and press firmly just to keep it somewhat enclosed.

Place all twists on the parchment paper on a baking sheet and sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese. 

Bake for about 13 minutes for puffy, tender twists (as seen in these photos). Bake a few minutes longer if you'd like them a bit crunchier.

 

 

qp

pesto!

look, a green thing! haven't seen many of them around these parts throughout the entire month of december...woopsies.

happy new year!!!! time to put some colors back into our bodies that aren't white, brown, or yellow...amiriiiite?? 

it's 2017! can you even believe that noise?????! seems like such a futuristic number, but here we are.

pesto is one of those things that i never store bought again after i learned how to make it myself. it's easy. you just probably need to have a food processor. i haven't tried it in a blender...but i don't see why that wouldn't work, too. feel free to report back with any findings.

i like to toss the garlic cloves in a hot pan with a tiny bit of olive oil for a few minutes...just to cut that sTrOnG garlicky bite. if ya catch my drift. fresh garlic works perfectly, too. but its a pesky lingerer. and with 3 cloves swimming around in this cup o sauce...that's a high level of linger. 

i make my pesto with both basil and arugula as the greenery. pesto is normally made with all basil, but somehow i do not *love* basil. i have a leaf of it with mozzarella & tomato and i'm like, "okay, cool, basil." i totally get that its a delicious, fresh, herbaceous, & fragrant flavor - i'm just not over the moon for the basil. so i like to use half basil and half arugula.

i learned the arugula pesto method from jessica of how sweet it is  - who has given me tons and tons and tons of inspiration and confidence in the kitchen since i started following/obsessing over her blog the last several years. by the way, her pesto parmesan scone recipe in that link above are amazing and i've made them many times. a crowd pleaser!!

her arugula pesto idea also eventually led me to try making pesto with any ol' greens i had laying around, which was silly. i've tried it with mixed greens, spinach and kale and that was all wrongo. you need something bitter and with a bite! i feel like the arugula is bitter with a sharp, peppery taste, and the basil is fragrant and herbal. mix those together and you've got a lovely balance of flavors. then come the parmesan cheese, garlic, and olive oil to make the pesto complete!

just a note that i ended up freezing my basil and thawed it when i was ready to use it for this recipe. it worked out just as well! if you're planning to make fresh pesto, buy basil like 4 seconds before you're ready. it goes bad in the blink of an eye! and by that i mean like 3 days.

anyhoo! its delicious! flavorful! herbaceous! with a bite! sometimes..too much bite. adding just a tad of white or red wine vinegar cuts that sharp taste and balances it all out. 

throw it on a pasta! gnocci! a pizza! quinoa! vegetables! crackers! with beans! i dunno, maybe not beans, but maybe so beans! pesto is primo for versatility. just try it on everythaaang. 

Homemade Pesto

Yields about 1 cup pesto sauce

Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups basil 
  • 2 cups arugula
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan, grated or in chunks
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, + 1-2 TB if necessary
  • 1/2 tsp. white vinegar or red wine vinegar (optional)

Instructions-

Add all ingredients to a food processor and run until everything is incorporated and a pesto sauce forms. Add 1 - 2 TB extra of olive oil if the sauce seems too thick. 

Optionally, add 1/2 tsp. of white vinegar or red wine vinegar to take away a bit of the bitter arugula bite.

Store in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator. Use within 7-10 days.

 

qp