“Portobello mushrooms are so meaty in texture that they are often thought of as the vegetarian answer to steak,” says Sasha Muniak. In other words, serve this as a main course or side dish. Easy as is, this can be made easier still: Substitute classic pesto, made with basil, from the jar.
If you do have time, there is a way to enhance this already lovely combination. Add a dozen or so roasted shallots to the platter.
Ingredients
6 large portobello mushroom caps, 3 inches in diameter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Parsley pesto (recipe below)
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Preheat the grill or broiler.
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Brush the portobellos with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the mushrooms, stem side up, on a medium-hot grill or under the broiler, about 5 inches from the heat, and grill or broil for about 5 minutes. Turn and cook for 3 minutes more. Set aside to cool.
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Arrange the grilled portobellos on a serving platter and serve the pesto in a bowl alongside.
Serves 6
Prepping in Advance: The pesto can be made 1 week in advance. Cover and store in the refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving. The mushrooms can be grilled several hours ahead. Let cool, cover, and hold at room temperature.
P A R S L E Y P E S T O
This can be used in countless ways, and unlike Classic Pesto it can be made year-round because of the availability of parsley. We like this best on sandwiches and panini. The variation with capers is tasty with turkey or pork, in particular.
Ingredients
2 cups packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons walnuts
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
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Wash and pat the parsley leaves dry. Peel and trim the garlic.
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Put the parsley, garlic, walnuts, salt, and pepper in a food processor and process until finely chopped. With the motor running, pour the olive oil through the feed tube into the machine in a slow stream, and blend to a smooth emulsion.
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Transfer the pesto to a serving bowl. Keep covered in a container in the refrigerator for 1 week.
