Genovese Pesto Recipe – Liguria

Genoa is the birthplace of Pesto:

The Ligurian region is the birthplace of the Pesto sauce.  More precisely, it was in Genoa, on the north Ligurian coast, that Pesto originated.

Basil, a main ingredient of pesto sauce, grows well in the Ligurian temperate climate. Travelling around Liguria, you’ll see that this sauce is used extensively in dishes.

Traditionally, families would use a mortar and a pestle (hence the name) to make pesto. The grinding action of the pestle brings out the flavours of the various ingredients as well as allowing for a smoother pesto texture.

If you’ve got a mortar and pestle at home, you may like to try making the pesto in the traditional way at least once so you can discern the difference in flavours. I personally don’t like spending a lot of time in the kitchen and using a blender is much easier even though there is a difference in quality.

Genovese Pesto Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil – don’t use cheap olive oil as it’ll affect the flavour of your pesto
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 cloves of garlic
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Process:

• Wash the basil in cold water and pat dry
• Put basil, pine nuts, garlic and pinch of salt in the blender
• Drizzle olive oil in the blender and process until creamy
• Scoop blended pesto into a bowl or jar and stir in the grated cheeses

Note that ground basil oxidizes quickly turning into a dirty green color so use it immediately or store your pesto with a protective layer of olive oil.

Pesto is commonly used in pesto pasta dishes like Trofie al Pesto or Fettuccine di Pesto alla Genovese. It is quite a versatile sauce that can be served with potatoes and French beans as well. I like spooning it over a plate of sliced smoked mozzarella, avocado, tomatoes and basil leaves. Served with bread, this makes for a quick and delicious snack when friends drop in.

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