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.

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.