Grilled Stuffed Mushrooms

I love pesto. I grow my own basil and make a traditional basil pesto with no frills, but my recipe makes to much for the amount of spaghetti my wife and I eat. If you are interested, I use Mario Batali’s recipe from his book Malto Italiano. Unless you go the homemade route you will have to be satisfied with store-bought.

Fresh mushrooms

Olive oil for brushing

Prepared basil pesto

Grated pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese

Remove the mushroom stems. Brush the top of the caps with oil and place stem-side up. Stuff each mushroom with pesto. If the mushrooms are young and fresh, they will not hold a large amount of pesto. If older, they will have opened more and spread out allowing more pesto to be spread on top. I prefer the young mushrooms but even the mature portobello can be used. Button ones, as used in this recipe, are most easily stuffed using a demitasse spoon.

Top each mushroom with grated cheese.

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over a medium fire. Cook the mushrooms until soft and the cheese is just beginning to melt (about 8 minutes). You will begin to smell the pesto before the mushrooms are done.