Genoese pesto, the best and most versatile sauce of my region.
It’s so good that we Genoese put it everywhere: in minestrone, on Genoese focaccia, on cheese focaccia, in appetizers (try my pesto cheesecake), we pair it with fish, in vegetable pies, and of course in fresh pasta.
We are so proud of this sauce that to promote our city in London, we sailed a mortar on the Thames, don’t believe it? Read this article on the Ansa website (an expensive initiative, but that’s another story).
Did you know that we even organize the World Pesto Championship every year? I participated, it was truly a great experience, I tried to make pesto for the first time with the mortar and it was very difficult.
Want to participate? Sign up, I saw that pre-registrations are open, here is the link to the website.
There are many different recipes for pesto, every family has its own, mine is adapted to modern times.
Genoese pesto, easy and fast recipe, but with an amazing taste.
Eh, darn it’s good.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups basil (only the leaves)
- 2 ¼ oz pine nuts
- 1 ¾ oz Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated)
- oz pecorino sardo
- 1 clove garlic (optional)
- tsp salt
- 4 oz extra virgin olive oil
Steps
Here’s how to prepare the
Wash the basil leaves, place them in a cloth, and pat them dry; be careful not to break them.
In the blender, put garlic, pine nuts, basil, salt, and add the oil to blend all the ingredients.
Remove the blades and add both the Parmigiano and the pecorino, mixing very well.
Place in a jar, making sure to cover the sauce with a drizzle of oil for optimal preservation.
Storage
Pesto keeps for a couple of days. If I don’t use it, I freeze it and take it out the night before using it.
