In my family, pesto was always a green sauce. But like many people, I’ve stretched the definition of pesto and expanded its horizons. (That’s what makes cooking so much fun.) This recipe uses a combination of dried and fresh mushrooms, both of which bring their own pronounced textures and flavors to the dish. Dried porcinis are easy to find year-round. And although they’re not cheap, they’re a great pantry item that you can use to jazz up a pasta dish, make a sauce to accompany a meat dish, or, of course, use as the base of this pesto.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 1 1/2 cups; serves 4 over 12 ounces of pasta as a main course

　　1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

　　8 ounces white button mushrooms, quartered

　　1 1/2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

　　1/2 cup toasted walnuts (see page 70)

　　2 garlic cloves

　　1/2 cup olive oil

　　1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

　　1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

　　

Step 1

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the porcini mushrooms, and press to submerge. Let stand until the mushrooms are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the soaking liquid from the mushrooms and discard.

　　

Step 2

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the porcini mushrooms, button mushrooms, parsley, toasted walnuts, and garlic. With the machine running, gradually add the oil, blending just until the mushrooms are finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper to taste. (The pesto can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2005 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.