Our parents often took to eat at other Russian River restaurants, and also to the homes of Italian friends. Nona Zurlo would quiz us the next morning on what we had eaten and how it was prepared. Did we like it? Did it taste as good as hers? (Nona would eat at very few tables besides her own, period, as she had exacting standards.)
As small children we learned to ask about the food we were eating and how it was prepared. If anyone thought it was odd that young children would often ask to speak with the cook, it was never mentioned. Francis ate this once at Denny Martinižs Royal Arms, in Forestville, and after that Nona often made the same dish for him following his description.
Pesto can be used as a base for other sauces, whether made with cheese, meat, seafood, or vegetables.
1 pound, rotelli (corkscrew) pasta
1/2 cup, olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 cup, coarsely chopped basil
1/2 cup, coarsely chopped parsley
2 small (about 6 ounce) cans of clams
1 teaspoon, white pepper
1/2 cup, dry white wine
1 tablespoon, dried tarragon
1/2 cup, grated Parmesan cheese
8 quarts, water
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Add pasta to stockpot with 8 quarts of salted boiling
water. Add a few drops of olive oil, and boil until tender
(about 15 minutes)
Drain and add a few more drops of olive oil to keep
pasta from sticking.
Bring remaining olive oil to boil in a medium skillet,
add garlic, basil, parsley, pepper and tarragon, add
wine and boil for a few minutes
Add clams and clam broth, reduce heat and simmer
for 5 minutes, until clams are heated through but not
tough.
Mix pesto sauce with pasta and grated cheese.
Serves 3 or 4.
Enjoy with our 2005 Sauvignon Blanc.
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