Fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic and Parmigiano Reggiano, pounded by hand or in a blender to a bright green, fragrant paste. The most famous sauce of Liguria, and at its best when it has never been cooked.
Pesto alla genovese
Region: Liguria
Pesto alla genovese
Region: Liguria
Method
01
Wash the basil
Gently wash the basil leaves and pat them very dry; wet basil dilutes the pesto and discolours it faster.
02
Toast the pine nuts (optional)
Briefly toast the pine nuts in a dry pan until lightly golden, leave to cool. Traditionally this isn't done, but it gives extra depth.
03
Pound or blend
Put the garlic with a pinch of coarse salt in a mortar and pound to a paste. Add the pine nuts and continue pounding. Add the basil in batches and pound with a circular motion to a coarse, green paste. No mortar? Use a blender on the lowest setting, in short pulses.
04
Add the oil
Stir in the grated cheeses. Add the olive oil little by little, stirring, until you have a creamy, slightly runny paste.
05
Season
Taste and season with salt.
06
Serve
Toss through warm pasta with a splash of cooking water; never cook or heat the pesto itself, as that makes it bitter and dull in colour.
Tips & notes
Never heat pesto, not even in the pan with the pasta; the fresh basil flavour and bright green colour are then lost. Only mix the pesto through the pasta on the plate or just off the heat, with a splash of warm cooking water to bind. Keeps for 3–5 days, covered, in the fridge.
Variations
- Add a handful of rocket for extra bite and a deeper green colour.
- Replace the pine nuts with walnuts for a cheaper, slightly earthier pesto (pesto alla genovese then becomes a pesto di noci).
Contains:
Milk
Tree nuts
Serve with
| Calories | 652 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3 g |
| Fat | 68 g |
| Fibre | 1 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
