🥫 Sauces & Spreads · Genoa, Liguria
Pesto genovese
The seven ingredients recognised by the Consorzio del Pesto Genovese, pounded in a mortar the traditional way. A food processor works too: pulse it briefly and keep everything cold so the basil stays green.
- Prep 20 min
- Cook no cooking
- Makes 4–6 (for 500 g pasta)
Ingredients
- 50 g young basil leaves (Genovese basil if possible)
- 1–2 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp pine nuts (about 15 g)
- A pinch of coarse sea salt
- 35 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
- 15 g Pecorino (Fiore Sardo), finely grated
- About 60–80 ml mild extra-virgin olive oil (Ligurian if possible)
Method
- Wash the basil gently and dry it completely on a cloth. Use only the leaves.
- Pound the garlic with a few grains of coarse salt in a marble mortar until creamy.
- Add the basil a handful at a time with a few more grains of salt. Grind it against the sides with a circular movement of the pestle, rather than hammering, until it releases a bright green liquid.
- Add the pine nuts and grind them to a paste.
- Add the two cheeses and work them in, then pour in the oil in a thin stream, stirring with the pestle until creamy.
- To serve, loosen it with a spoonful of the pasta cooking water. Never cook pesto.
Tips
- Store it in a jar covered with a layer of oil to stop it darkening.
- Also excellent spread in a focaccia sandwich with mozzarella and tomato.
📜 The story behind it: Pesto genovese: seven ingredients and a mortar
Sources
Rewritten in our own words from the traditional versions listed above. ← All recipes