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You are here: Home > Pasta Sauce Recipes > Pesto Recipe

Authentic Italian Pesto Recipe
Original Ligurian Version!

Both Easy or Traditional Way...

Pesto recipe is a basil sauce that comes from the city of Genova in the Ligurian region of northwest Italy.

Traditionally it was made in a mortar with pestle and done by grandmothers.

Nowadays an easy food processor or the blender are more practical and very often used, even if many pesto lovers would probably refuse and accomplish the traditional recipe.

Pesto Sauce
Pesto sauce


I guarantee you that the advantage of using the method with mortar and pestle is that you'll produce a pesto with a full basil flavor.







Ingredients: serves 4

¼ cup (gr.57) pine nuts lightly toasted
3 garlic cloves
1 lb (gr.454) Genovese small basil leaves
8 tbsp (ml.118) extra vergin olive oil
1 tsp (gr.5) salt
¼ cup (gr.57) grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup (gr.57) grated pecorino cheese



Pasta with this pesto recipe makes an excellent main course. It's traditionally served with trofie, but spaghetti, Orecchiette or gnocchi goes either well.

My Spaghetti with Pesto Sauce
Pesto




Preparation: easy

Quick if you use a food processor or blender.

1. Toast the pine nuts in a small heavy skillet over medium heat, stir frequently until golden, 4 to 5 minutes.

2. Place the garlic cloves, pine nuts, basil leaves, olive oil and salt in your food processor, process until smooth stopping as necessary.

3. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl, stir in the finely grated parmesan and pecorino.

Ready!

If you want you can cover the pesto with a thin film of oil and keep refrigerated for a few days.



Preparation: mortar & pestle

If you decide to make pesto the traditional way it will require you about fifteen minutes of pounding.

The basil must be broken down totally to get the full basil flavor of pesto made in a mortar and pestle.



Belive me, it's worth it!



Pesto Pestle
Pesto pestle
1. Start pounding an handful of basil leaves, a garlic clove, a pinch of salt

2. Add a few pine nuts.

3. Pour a little stream of oilve oil and keep pounding while you add a spoon of parmesan and one of pecorino cheese.

Repeat this process until you finish all the ingredients.

Future chefs at the Golden Mortar Event making pesto sauce
Pesto Event







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