Basil, pine nuts, garlic, pecorino, Parmesan and olive oil, pounded in a mortar to a coarse, green paste. The name comes from pestare, to pound, and that is exactly why a mortar works better than a food processor.
Pesto Genovese
Pistou (pesto genovese)
Pesto Genovese
Pistou (pesto genovese)
Method
01
Pine nuts
Briefly toast the pine nuts in a dry pan until light golden and leave to cool.
02
Pound
Pound the garlic with a pinch of coarse salt in a mortar to a paste. Add the pine nuts and continue pounding until coarsely broken.
03
Basil
Add the basil leaves in small batches and pound with a circular motion to a coarse, green paste.
04
Cheese
Stir in the grated pecorino and Parmesan.
05
Oil
Gradually add the olive oil, stirring, until you have a thick, cohesive pesto. Season with salt.
Tips & notes
A food processor will do, but the blades generate heat and oxidise the basil, so the pesto turns brown more quickly. A mortar is slower but gives a fresher colour and a better texture. Keeps for 3–5 days, covered, in the fridge.
Chef's tip
In Genoa, pesto is never heated; it only goes through the warm, freshly cooked pasta at serving, with a little cooking water to loosen it. Cooking the pesto itself changes the colour from bright green to dull olive and loses the freshness.
Variations
- Pesto alla trapanese – With tomato and almonds instead of pine nuts.
- Pesto rosso – With sun-dried tomatoes, from Sicily.
- Pistou – The Provençal version without pine nuts, for soupe au pistou.
Contains:
Tree nuts
Milk
Serve with
- Pasta (trofie, linguine)
- Minestrone alla genovese
- Grilled fish
- Caprese
- Bruschetta
| Calories | 619 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3 g |
| Fat | 67 g |
| Fibre | 1 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
