Pesto - the Modern Mother Sauce ― More Than 90 Inventive Recipes That Start With Homemade Pestos

Most people are familiar with classic Italian pesto, a green sauce made from basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and olive oil. But Leslie Lennox, founder of the award-winning artisanal pesto company Hope’s Gardens, shows us that pesto need not be limited to its original ingredients—and that creative pestos can serve as building blocks for all manner of flavorful dishes, just like any good “mother sauce.”

In Beyond Basil, Lennox introduces readers to a new way to think about pesto. In the right proportion, almost any combination of plants, garlic, nuts, cheese, seasoning, and oil can make a delicious sauce—especially when you’re using what’s on hand, what’s local, and what’s in season.

Lennox offers up several favorite pesto recipes, and then takes these simple sauces a step further. They serve as the building blocks for 97 kitchen-tested recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and more. From risotto and ramen to chicken fajitas and swordfish kebabs, everything tastes better with pesto!

Leslie Lennox is a recipe developer, cooking instructor, urban gardener, and founder of Hope’s Gardens, an artisanal condiment company based in Atlanta. A former fashion stylist, she worked with Vera Wang at Vogue, spent time as an art photographer, and founded a handcrafted products and greeting card company, selling her designs internationally through Barneys, Papyrus, and many other retailers. She lives in New York City with her husband, Dave. This is her first cookbook.