Mary Ann's Blog
Presto Pesto
July 19, 2024
Pesto sauce is to the region of Liguria what tomato sauce is to Campania. To make pesto Genovese according to the rules laid out by the Consorzio del Pesto Genovese, the ruling body that oversees the traditional way to make it, the basil must be cultivated in and around Genoa, and only tender, young small leaves can be used. Other ingredients include Ligurian extra-virgin olive oil and fresh, mild-tasting garlic. The grated cheese must be either Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano in combination with Pecorino Romano from Rome, Tuscany, Sicily, or Sardinia. The pine nuts must be from Liguria, but walnuts are sometimes substituted. The salt must be coarse sea salt. Only then are you good to go to make authentic pesto as the Genovese do so well.
Given the constraints of time today, a quick version of pesto can be made using a food processor, but the taste and texture will not be the same as that made by hand and it will oxidize quickly due to the bruising of the leaves by the steel blade and the residual heat from the processor. Basil, like the translation of its name meaning kingly, needs to be treated with care and respect.
Pesto sauce can be used on trenette or trofie (two traditional pastas of the region) with green bean and potatoes (see recipe on ciaoitalia.com). Pesto is the last thing added to minestrone soup and is the sauce favored for potato gnocchi. Of course, there are many other uses one can find for pesto. It is perfect mixed into risotto, adds flavor to cooked vegetables, and finds it way as a topping for pizza as well.
Get my recipe for classic pesto sauce here.
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