Homemade Genoese Pesto

Wipe the leaves with a soft cloth, without wetting them. Add grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. It can be refrigerated for up to 10 days.

di |
Homemade Genoese pesto recipe
  • Preparation time: 20 minutes
  • Difficulty: low

How to make Genoese pesto

Store-bought pesto is unlikely to be as good as the one you make at home. You risk wasting your money, but you can try making it yourself with an easy recipe based on a well-established Genoese tradition. Pesto is a typical Ligurian sauce, which, along with basil, also includes garlic, pine nuts, pecorino, parmesan, and, of course, extra virgin olive oil.

Ingredients

  • 50 g of DOP basil leaves
  • 2 cloves of Vessalico garlic (a milder and more digestible variety)
  • 15 g of pine nuts
  • 70 g of Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 30g of Pecorino Fiore Sardo
  • 100 ml of Ligurian extra virgin olive oil
  • A pinch of coarse sea salt

* to season approximately 600g of pasta

Preparation

  • The first step is to clean the leaves of the basilDo this with a soft cloth, without wetting them. Alternatively, wash them but let them dry completely: this step must be done delicately, because if the leaves get crumpled or broken, they will blacken and make the pesto taste bitter. Use a marble mortar and an wooden pestle, with which you will first reduce the two cloves ofgarlic peeled and a few grains of salt.
  • Then add the basil leaves and the salt remaining, and continue to crush with circular movements: you will see that a bright green liquid will come out of the basil, this is the moment to put the pine nuts.
  • Finally, continuing to mix, add the grated cheeses andoil, little by little, little by little.
  • The time you dedicate to preparation is crucial: it must be as short as possible, only in this way will you avoid the basil and other ingredients oxidizing.
  • A risk in success is linked to the use of the mixer, which heats the pesto and makes it bitter; if you don't have a mortar and pestle, use these tricks: turn on the lowest speed and blend in bursts to avoid raising the temperature of the mixture, place the container and the blades of the blender in refrigerator for an hour before starting to prepare.
  • You can preserve Keep the pesto in the refrigerator for up to ten days, covered with olive oil. Alternatively, you can freeze it and then thaw it at room temperature.

The most suitable types of pasta for pesto

The pasta shapes best suited to pesto are classic fresh trofie (which you can add green beans and boiled potatoes) or trenette. For first courses, try potato gnocchi or lasagna. In this case, layer the pesto with a thin béchamel sauce, mozzarella, and grated Parmesan.

Read also:

Recipes
recipe image
Recipe Name
Homemade pesto
Author
Posted on
Preparation time
Cooking time
Total time
Vote
2.51star1star1stargraygray based on 25 Review (s)
Want to see a selection of our news?

Don't Waste